Little Bird
by Soadarlin
Summary: Kelly Kozik, a successful, independent RN comes to Charming following a tragedy. She has no intention on staying there for any length of time. Will the past keep her there or will she go back to Tacoma where it all started in the first place? I own nothing you recognize, original pairings will remain the same Happy/OC Shout out to ItsSimplyNatalie for the awesome cover pic :)
1. Chapter 1

She had blonde hair and blue eyes, just like her brother did. He was older than her by almost ten years, which meant he was joining the military before she even got her first period. Her older brother had been her hero, someone she always looked up to. So, when he came back from the war a changed person, she still loved him and was there for every step of his recovery. It was what drove her to be a nurse in the first place.

When she checked her voicemail and learned about his death, it was after a sixteen hour shift in the intensive care unit. She'd lost two patients already that night. Learning about Herman only proved that bad things really did come in threes. Kelly was numb. He was her big brother, her best friend and just like that, he was gone. She closed her locker and headed back out to the nurse's station, hoping her supervisor was still there.

"John, I've got to take some personal days." Kelly struggled to keep her voice from cracking. She couldn't cry. Not there, not when the patients and families looked to them for strength and hope. John looked up from the computer and his annoyed expression immediately evaporated.

"That won't be a problem, Kelly. You've got plenty saved up. Why don't we plan on a week? If you need more time, all you've got to do is give me a call." John said, shocked to see so much despair in such a strong woman's eyes. He had wanted to ask her out for months, but in addition to their professional relationship, he also had a feeling she wasn't available. He knew she was single, but single and available were two completely different things.

"It shouldn't keep me that long. I appreciate it though." Kelly said with a sad smile before hurrying out of the hospital as fast as she could without running. As soon as she got to her car, her chest started heaving and tears poured into her lap. She tried to stop, knowing she still had to make it home. She slammed her fists into the steering wheel and sobbed even harder. It wasn't fair.

The drive home was one of the most reckless things she had done in over a year. Between the stinging of the mascara in her eyes and her anger, she was all over the road. Kelly wasn't even sure how she made it to her driveway without any closer calls than she'd had. She cut the engine and attempted to gather her wits and hold on to them just long enough to get inside, grab some clothes and get back to the car.

Kelly avoided looking at the walls as she walked inside. He had helped her paint them when she moved in, despite hating the happy yellow color she had chosen. She felt her throat closing up and all but ran into her bedroom. Kelly saw the picture frame on her dresser and it kicked her Kozik temper into full gear. She screamed a feral, wounded scream and shoved everything off into the floor, not caring about the sound of shattering glass.

The exertion of kicking and screaming at the dresser took enough energy to dull some of her pain, at least for a little while. Kelly panted as she grabbed jeans and a few different shirts that were always her go to's. She wasn't the type to wear a dress and Herman never would have wanted her to dress up on his account. Ten minutes later, she got back in her car and started the long drive from Tacoma to Charming. Luckily for everyone else on the roads, she wasn't angry anymore. She was numb.

When she finally stopped, she'd been driving for five hours after her sixteen hour shift that was proceeded by about four hours of sleep. She hated dive hotels as much as the next single woman, but she couldn't trust herself to make it another twenty miles to something less roach motel-like. Had she not been exhausted, the attendant's question of hourly or nightly rate would have sent her running.

Her sleep wasn't exactly restful. She dreamt about the last conversation she had with her older brother, which would now forever haunt her. They had fought over his decision to transfer to Charming. He'd called her selfish and needy. She'd called him weak and stupid. It was the one thing she had never called him before, weak. What's worse is she didn't even mean it. She was just hurt and now he would never know that.

Kelly knew she looked like hell before she even looked in the mirror. It didn't lie. She splashed cool water over her face, hoping it would help with the dark circles under her eyes, but knowing better than that. Surprisingly, the shower didn't have rust and grime like she thought it would, so she took a leap of faith and took a quick, luke-warm shower. She normally liked her showers hot enough to nearly scald her skin, but she was happy enough to not smell like hospital anymore.

She got back on the road, still numb enough to only pose as a moderate risk to others on the road. There was still another five hours to Charming, which meant she would be getting there right about three. If she was going anywhere else, it would mean she could avoid rush-hour. Charming didn't have rush-hour though, at least not in the sense that she was accustomed to in Tacoma or Seattle. Her fingers hovered above the radio controls, knowing that it was a risk to turn it on. Singing in the car was always her thing with Herman, at least on the rare occasion that he would actually ride in a cage.

Just to be safe, she quickly changed it from oldies to pop, knowing the chance of hearing one of his favorite songs on that station was slim. Their mother had conditioned them to love music, always singing in the kitchen when she cooked and almost any other time their father wasn't around. When he was around, singing was their mother's way of calming Kelly down after scary outbursts and fights. Between her singing and Herman's promise to never let their father hurt her, Kelly had managed to grow up in a bad home without too many negative side effects.

She passed the Welcome to Charming sign and the pain flared back up. Kelly hadn't seen Herman in over four months since and had never come to Charming after he'd left Tacoma. Had he not died here, she probably never would have come here again. She didn't even want Herman to try and transfer here, hence their fight a few months ago.

The attendant of the hotel looked much cleaner than the last attendant, as did the hotel itself. Kelly booked a room for three nights, telling herself she wouldn't stay past that unless she absolutely had to. She carried her bags into the hotel room and tossed them on the queen sized bed. The room was clean and didn't have any suspicious smells, but it looked like it hadn't been updated since the eighties. Kelly took a deep breath and sat down on the corner of the bed, wondering what she was supposed to do next. It was a quarter after three, so she set the alarm on her phone for five o'clock and crawled under the covers, hoping to get a little shut eye before going down to the clubhouse.

When that didn't work, she crawled out of bed and set out for a walk down to the liquor store. She knew she was going to need some and she didn't want to get back in the car yet. Nothing ever changed in Charming and it wasn't a large town, so she knew where she was going, at least the general area. The warm summer sun beat down on her arms and face, reminding her little she got out of her house if it wasn't to go to work. It felt nice but it couldn't warm the chill in her bones.

The bell rang as she opened the door to the liquor store that was in fact, right where she remembered it. It was much smaller than the store she frequented in Tacoma, but it had all the basics. She roamed over to the whiskey shelf and scanned the bottles, hoping she could find something decent. Eventually, she settled on a bottle of Jameson and headed up to the counter to pay.

"$16.08 sweetheart." The older man said, pulling out a brown paper bag for her. Kelly swiped her debit card and punched in her pin number, well aware of the attention she was getting from the cashier. She looked up and took the bag and receipt. "You new to town?"

"No. I'm just visiting for a few days." Kelly said, shaking her head. The older man raised her brow, wondering why she would visit Charming of all places. He thought about asking her, but by the time he decided against it, she was already walking down the sidewalk.

Kelly headed straight back to the hotel, resisting the urge to drink from the bottle on her way back. She pushed her hair back and looked up at the sun, wondering if it was always that bright in Charming. Herman was a surfer at heart, so of course he would love the sunshine and heat. Kelly didn't really mind it, it just wasn't something she was used to. She heard the unmistakable sound of motorcycles approaching from a distance and picked up the pace, not wanting to run into them before she knew exactly what she wanted to say.

As soon as the hotel door was closed and locked behind her, she ripped open the foil around the lid of the whiskey bottle and tipped the bottle up. The alcohol burned her throat, but she enjoyed the heat as it pulsed through her veins. She licked a couple drops off her lips and leaned her head back, letting her hair cascade down her back. It was time to face the music. She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a smaller makeup, hoping a little makeup would hide just how broken she was.

Driving onto the lot of Teller-Morrow was almost surreal. She pulled into a parking space near the gate and took a deep breath, telling herself she could do it, she could face the truth. Kelly took the first step and opened the door. The garage wasn't more than half a mile from the liquor store, but the air felt completely different, like she was in a different state all together. She closed her eyes and stepped out of the car.

"Shop's closed for the day." Ratboy called out to the blonde that had gotten out of the gray Audi. She put her hand on the trunk of her car and looked pretty shaken up to him. Sensing an opportunity to talk to and get in good with the beautiful woman, he put down his wrench and headed over to her. He noticed her long legs and the way her jeans were hugging her ass. They weren't super tight like the girls around the club wore theirs, but surprisingly enough, he liked that.

"The car is fine." Kelly managed, looking at the young man's eyes that were looking over her body, not the car's. He flicked his eyes up to hers and blinked a couple times before finally plastering a cocky smirk on his face. Kelly rolled her eyes. "I need to see Clay."

"He expecting you?" Rat wasn't prepared to hear her ask for Clay and it deflated him a little. She nodded at his question and he figured he probably shouldn't hit on her until after she saw Clay. He motioned towards the clubhouse and stepped that way, leading Kelly into the clubhouse that Herman had loved so much. "Uh, they're in church. Do you want a drink or something?"

"No, I'm good." Kelly said, wishing she'd been able to meet with Clay without everyone else being there. She knew it would be impossible to avoid them all, but she at least wanted to put it off a little longer. Instead of sitting at the bar and waiting, she meandered around the room, looking at all the different SOA and Harley Davidson decorations. She paused at a picture from one of Tacoma's rallies. It was three years ago and had been the last rally Kelly went to. She saw Herman's goofy smile in the picture and covered her mouth with her hand.

"You okay?" Rat asked, noticing how torn up she was over some picture he'd never even noticed before. She turned to look at him and her walls crashed down. Rat didn't know what to do as she cried. He took a step towards her and she took two steps back. He swore under his breath and jogged over to the large double doors that he only went behind on invitation.

"What in the hell are you doing?" Clay boomed as the prospect burst into the tense room. All eyes turned to the young man who seemed frozen in place. Clay stood up and Rat swallowed hard, imagining his balls in a jar for busting in like that. He pointed towards the crying woman instead of taking the risk of saying the wrong thing. Clay looked into the clubhouse and saw the blonde crying near the bar. "Shit, Kelly."

If the room wasn't silent enough before, it was after Clay spoke that name. She hadn't come around the clubhouse much, but everyone knew who she was and why she was there. Rat didn't understand why everyone flipped from angry to almost pained, it was just a crying girl. Clay shoved past him and walked over to Kelly with his shoulders forward. Kelly looked up at the older man and sniffed hard, wishing she could have just kept it together.

"This is your fault." Kelly snapped, unable to hold it in. She was a little surprised with her lack of self control and wondered just how much whiskey she'd downed before coming over to the clubhouse. Clay's eyes widened and she jerked back from his hand that was coming towards her shoulder. "You're supposed to keep them safe! Is lining your pockets really worth their lives? Is it?"

Happy heard the hate in her voice and moved quickly. He knew that once her filter was gone, it wasn't going to come back before it was too late. He'd seen her mouth off before and it wasn't pretty. This wasn't Tacoma though, she wasn't exactly family here. He sidestepped Clay and grabbed Kelly's arms before she could dodge him.

"Lee is twice the President you will ever be you son of a bitch!" Kelly yelled back at Clay as Happy pushed her towards the dorms. She didn't miss the hatred that flashed in the man's eyes before she turned away from him to look into Happy's dark eyes. He opened the first door on the left and pushed her inside. "Don't touch me."

"Little late for that, Kelly." He was referring to bringing her down the hall, but the look in her eyes told him that wasn't how she took it. She shook her head before starting to cry again. Happy sighed and closed the door. "Get it out, girl. If you're pissed then get that shit out to. This isn't Tacoma, you can't talk to Clay like that."

Normally, Kelly would have bitten back at him for lecturing her, but she was hurting too much. She cried so hard it nearly made her sick, only finding some small relief when Happy forced her into a hug. She had pushed him away at first, but he risked getting mauled and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest. After a few minutes, her crying subsided into a few spaced out sobs and Happy released her.

"What happened? All Lee told me was that he died." Kelly said, looking up at Happy from the bed she had sat down on after realizing she wasn't quite ready to stand on her own. Happy tensed but he knew she needed the truth.

"We got into some shit that went real bad real fast. He stepped on a mine." He paused, wondering if he should have gone into that much detail. "It was fast, Kelly. He didn't feel anything."

"A mine? What kind of shit did you get yourselves into?" Kelly asked, wishing she could understand why this had to happen. She dropped her head and looked at her shaking hands. "I guess it's a good thing he wanted to be cremated then."

"Yeah." Happy didn't really know what else to say. There was plenty he wanted to say, but it just wasn't the time. Kelly looked up at him again.

"I'm leaving as soon as the wake is over and I get his stuff packed in the car." She said, telling both Happy and herself. He nodded and took a couple steps towards her. She could see he was hurting to. They had been close, he and her brother. She shook her head slowly as he stood before her, just watching her. "Don't."

Happy stepped back as she stood up and walked out of the room without another word. He was almost glad to see that she still hated him. She wouldn't be Kelly if she forgave him like nothing had ever happened. Kozik had told him how much she hated him for what he'd done. He knew he deserved it, but he couldn't help being drawn to her, especially when she was hurting like he was.

"Kelly, wait." She stopped, knowing it was Tig before she even turned around. His crystal blue eyes looked into hers and she forced a tight smile. He pulled her into a hug and smoothed her hair gently. "I'm sorry, Kel."

"Me to, Tig. Me to. I'm getting out of here before I end up pissing Clay off even more. The wake is tomorrow, right?" Kelly asked, ready to get out of the clubhouse. Tig nodded.

"Come on, Kelly. You don't need to be alone. Have a drink, Clay went home." Tig said, knowing Kelly well enough to know that if she went to her hotel room, she'd end up drinking alone anyways. She hesitated and he squeezed her shoulder. "For me?"

"One drink, Tig." Kelly gave in and followed him over to the bar. He waved Rat over and ordered them both whiskey on the rocks. She pushed her hair behind her ear and looked over at Tig, wondering how he was handling Herman's death. They had a falling out but she knew they both still cared. She could never really get a good read on Tig though.

"How long are you staying?" Tig asked his fallen brother's sister. She stared down at her glass for a moment before answering.

"I'm just here for the wake and to get his stuff." She said, not even bothering addressing the elephant in the room any further. Tig wasn't surprised to hear her plans, but couldn't deny that he'd miss her when she left as well. He took a drink and watched Happy enter the room from the corner of his eye.

"Kozik said you were an RN now?" Tig asked, changing the subject. Kelly nodded without granting the question any further response. He wasn't used to struggling with conversation this much but there was so much he feared would upset her again. "He was real proud of you, Kel."

"I know. He sent me flowers and came to see me when I started at Tacoma General." Kelly's bottom lip quivered and she finished her drink quickly. Tig regretted mentioning Kozik, but he couldn't help it. "I need to go. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Be careful sweetheart." Tig said, smiling as she kissed him on the cheek. She forced a sad smile and nodded. When the door closed behind her, Tig chanced a look at Happy who was leaning against the wall at the end of the bar. "Think she'll be alright?"

"She's Kelly. She's tough." Happy said, not completely convinced of what he was telling Tig himself. She was tough, that was true but Kozik was more than half the reason. As much as he had needed her, she'd needed him as well. Happy moved to the seat that Kelly had abandoned and spun her glass around on top of the bar. "I'm going for a ride."

"Sure, brother." Tig said, earning a glare from Happy. Tig knew what the man was capable of but also knew that with Kelly in town, Hap would be too busy to worry about Tig calling him out. Happy made his way out of the clubhouse, rolling his eyes at Tig's assumption. He didn't have any plans to track Kelly down, not that it would be particularly hard.

Kelly stared at the bottle of whiskey on the dresser and told herself she didn't need it. She got through her mother's death without it and even her divorce after an embarrassingly short marriage of eight months. She'd never needed the bottle before, but she'd always had her big brother to lean on. The truth was, she was afraid of that bottle. Sure, she drank casually and even got drunk every now and then but addiction was in her blood if Herman and their father were any examples. She didn't want to lose herself like they had, but God, she wanted that whiskey to warm her bones and numb her mind.

"You weren't supposed to go yet, Kozik. We were supposed to get old and gray together." She said to the empty room. She thought she believed in God and heaven but losing Herman made her question everything. He was a good man, even if he was a criminal by definition of the law. What mattered to Kelly was the big brother she'd known for thirty years. He'd been the type to save people and fix things. Sure, he had his vices just like anybody else but he was a good person. He didn't deserve to be blown up by a land mine.

"Who is it?" Kelly yelled through the door as someone knocked on it for the third time. She set the bottle back down on the dresser, realizing that it had gotten considerably lighter. She didn't even bother using the peep hole in the door, she knew that whoever was on the other side could only be one of a handful of people. Sure enough, in the dim light of the breezeway, she saw Happy Lowman.

"Took you long enough." Happy said, inviting himself into the hotel room. Kelly rolled her eyes and tossed the door closed a little harder than she meant to. Happy looked back at her and raised his brow.

"I was busy." She shrugged and leaned back against the cold metal door. She saw Happy look over at the whiskey bottle and nod.

"I can see that." He wanted to ask if she thought that drowning herself in whiskey was going to bring him back or make her feel better, but he didn't want to see that pain in her eyes again. There would be plenty of that tomorrow.

"Yeah, sorry. I'd offer you a drink but the bar's all dried up. What are you doing here?" Kelly asked, tucking some hair behind her ear and looking at him quizzically. She didn't like being alone in a room with him, especially when she was drunk. Happy shrugged.

"Looking out for you, Kelly." He said, knowing she'd be pissed. He watched her cheeks redden and prepared for a fight. It wouldn't be their first one and probably not their last.

"Maybe you should have looked out for my brother." Kelly snapped back before she even knew what she was saying. She regretted it immediately. Happy nodded, trying to keep his anger under control. He knew she was drunk and torn up over Kozik, but no one talked to him like that.

"Watch your mouth, girl. You ain't the only one who lost a brother." Happy growled. Kelly nodded and pushed off the door, her compassionate nature kicking in. Past the anger in his voice, she heard his own pain. His eyes were on her as she slowly approached him.

"I'm sorry, Happy. I know if you could have saved him, you would have." Kelly said, standing mere inches away from him. He nodded and looked her over for the first time in a long time. Her eyes were glassy, thanks to the Jameson and her cheeks were a little red as a result as well. She looked a little skinnier since the last time he saw her, but it only served to make her breasts look that much perkier and her ass that much rounder. "You should go."

"Why?" Happy asked, looking back up at her eyes. She slowly brought them up to his and he watched her cheeks get a little redder.

"I'm drunk and vulnerable. You're you. It's not a good combination." She said softly. He nodded, knowing she was probably right. That didn't make him want her any less.

"I'll see you tomorrow, angel." He crossed the room and pulled the door open before she caught his wrist. She swallowed hard and looked into his eyes. Their lips crashed into each other as he kicked the door shut with his heavy boots. Kelly let go of every second thought she had and let herself feel something besides pain. Happy walked her back towards the bed and guided her down slowly. He wanted nothing more than to slam into her hard and fast, but for some reason, he cared more about what she wanted.

"Happy," Kelly said on a heavy breath as he kissed the soft skin of her neck. It sent goose bumps down her arms that were wrapped around him. She loved the way his short stubble scratched her skin. Happy unbuttoned her thin black blouse and pushed it out of the way of her chest. Her back arched as he sucked on her ample cleavage while sliding a hand around to her back to undo the bra. Kelly pulled her arms out of the shirt and discarded both it and her bra as Happy watched her intently.

"Fucking beautiful." He growled as he dipped his mouth down to a nipple. Kelly whimpered at the pressure of his teeth, remembering just how well Happy knew how to push her buttons. She put her hand on the side of his face and he looked up at her.

"We're a little uneven, killer." She said huskily. He stood up, making sure to keep his eyes on her as he shrugged his leather off, followed by pulling his shirt off and stepping out of his boots. Kelly toed her sneakers off as he got back into position over her. She couldn't help noticing that the rows of smiling face tattoos had multiplied since the last time they'd been together. She knew what they were for, what they meant.

His mouth demanded her attention as his tongue slid into her own, sharing his taste of whiskey and smoke with her. She moaned and ran her hand down from his neck to his warm, chiseled stomach. His hardened member was pressed against her jeans, which made her chest rise and fall just a little bit faster. Happy let her hands work their way down to his belt before he stopped kissing her lips.

"Do you have a condom?" Kelly asked, looking up at him as he pushed the jeans she had undone down his legs. He nodded, amused that she even thought to ask him. He fished the foil wrapper out of his wallet as Kelly unbuttoned her own jeans. While she did slid her jeans down, along with her panties, Happy stroked himself a couple times before rolling the condom on. Kelly moved more towards the center of the bed and gave him a seductive look.

She let him spread her knees apart and watched as he kneeled on the bed between her legs. They had been her many times before, but not in years. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back as he slid two fingers into her, not forgetting to give the little bundle of nerves plenty of attention with his thumb. It had been a while since a man touched her like that and her body was all but yearning for more.

Happy watched her bottom lip retreat into her mouth as she bit down on it gently. He smirked, remembering the way that same mouth had pleased him time and time again. As he ran his fingers that had been buried inside of her over the light pink lips and bundle of nerves, she all but purred. Happy was glad he'd made use of some sweetbutt the night before, or he never would have lasted more than five minutes with Kelly.

"Oh, God," Kelly moaned as he filled her completely. He was thinking the same thing as he felt the resistance of her tight walls wrapping around his shaft. She was as tight as ever and he wondered again just how long he'd be able to go with her this time. He crawled over her and dipped his mouth down onto hers as he started thrusting. "Happy, right there."

Happy knew her body like the back of his hand and aimed to please her as much as he did himself. He listened to her plea and fulfilled it, slamming into her and hitting the spot over and over. Her breath hitched and she knew that her whole body was about to come undone. Happy kissed her neck and it set the explosion off inside of her. She all but screamed his name as her body pulsated and her walls tightened around him. It pushed him over the edge when she looked him in the eyes.

Kelly knew by the way he dipped his head onto the pillow between her head and shoulder that he'd found his own release as well, it was his tell. She slowly came down from the high that he'd given her and only then began to think about what she'd done when he was off the bed and making his way into the bathroom. Coming to Charming was something she had to do but what she'd done with Happy had been a mistake, no matter how great it had made her feel.

"Already regretting it, Kelly?" He asked, reading her expression as she smoked a cigarette she no doubt took from his pack. She moved her eyes over to him and nodded, noticing that he'd gone back to using her name. The look on his face both surprised and confused her. There was so much going on that she couldn't discern exactly what he was feeling, but she could tell that part of it was guilt, a emotion she'd only seen from him once before.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Happy." Kelly said, walking past him as he got dressed. She closed the door to the bathroom and started the shower, hoping he would be gone by the time she was done. For that reason and because she had hot water to enjoy, she took more time in the shower than usual. When she emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a thin white towel, she saw that he was indeed gone, leaving nothing behind but a envelope he'd placed on top of her open suitcase.

 **Please let me know what you think and if you would prefer to get backstory in flashbacks or conversation. All original pairing (ie Jax/Tara) will be the same. I'm going to try and follow the timeline of the show with major events but at some point it may stray away from the show for inclusion of Kelly's character.**


	2. Chapter 2

Happy walked into the clubhouse, ready for a stiff drink. He walked past Juice who was working away at the computer and shrugged off a croweater that sauntered up to him. He walked around to the back of the bar and grabbed a bottle of beer and a bottle of Jack. The room was fairly empty, so he decided to sit at the bar rather than going into his room.

"I'm telling you, man, she talked to Clay like he was some Joe Blow on the street." He heard Rat's voice coming from the door and ground his teeth together. He heard Filthy Phil's recognizable laugh and took another swig of Jack. "If she was my old lady, I'd show her what respect was. Give her something else to do with her mouth."

"That's Kozik's little sister, asshole." Happy growled, watching both Rat and Phil flinch at his interruption. Happy stood up from the bar and stood toe to toe with Rat. "Next disrespectful thing you say about her is going to cost you that top rocker."

"Sorry. I didn't know Kozik had a sister." Rat said, hoping the Tacoma Killer wouldn't decide to bury him in chigger woods. Happy sat back down with a curt nod, making it clear that the conversation was over. "You know her?"

"None of your business, prospect. Go clean the gym and the shitter." Tig barked, hearing enough to know that the prospect was in serious danger of getting his face rearranged by the killer. Rat nodded and headed off down the hall to do as he was told. Phil paused for a minute before making himself scarce. "How was your ride, brother?"

"Fine." Happy said, picking up the bottle of Jack and heading to his room. Tig looked after him and shook his head, hoping things would go back to normal soon. He headed out of the clubhouse, pausing to give the picture Kelly had seen a parting nod.

SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA

Kelly woke up with a pounding headache with light pouring in through the window that she didn't remember opening the curtains of. She rolled over to her back and threw her arm over her eyes, wishing she hadn't polished off that bottle of whiskey. It was just one of a few things that she regretted from the previous night. Remembering that mistake reminded her of the envelope she had yet to open.

She pulled the sheet off and wrapped it around her naked body to avoid flashing all of Charming through the picture window as she crossed the room to get the envelope. She picked it up and turned it over in her hands, wondering what Happy could have possibly given her. She knew it wasn't money and he wasn't really the letter type. Then, the realization hit her. Happy was Kozik's closest friend and probably the only one he would have trusted to pass something along to Kelly, just in case something happened.

She ripped the envelope open and pulled out a yellow sheet of legal paper, immediately recognizing Herman's handwriting. She bit her lip and read the letter as she sank back down onto the bed.

Kelly,

I hope you don't have to read this but in case you do, I'm sorry. Things here in Charming are getting rough, rougher than Tacoma ever was. I don't want you to cry over me, Kel. I chose this life and I knew what the risks were. Jesus, just writing this letter is freaking me out.

I want you to know how much I love you, little bird. You've always been there for me, no matter what shit I put you through. I want you to know that, Kel. Your big brother loves you, no matter what.

Go ahead and quit you're crying because you're about to get pissed at me. Real pissed. I want you to be happy, Kel. You probably know what I'm saying, you were always the smart one. You can be mad at me, it's better than being sad. Just, don't go through life unhappy because of something that happened when we were all different people. Don't forget to smile, little sister.

Love You Little Bird

If Kelly had cried since she heard about Herman dying, it was nothing compared to when she read his letter. She sobbed so hard it was hard to breathe and physically hurt. She did her best to take slow breaths but she couldn't manage it. She missed him more than ever now.

The door opened, scaring her nearly to death and she scrambled as far from it as she could get. Happy raised his brow at her, setting the bag on the table and kicking the door closed quickly. She didn't even seem to see him and just started shaking and crying.

"Kelly, hey you're okay. It's just me." He got down in the floor with her, despite the space between the wall and bed being so narrow. She was clutching onto a piece of paper and Happy realized it must have been the letter Kozik made him promise to give her if anything happened to him. He had a letter of his own but hadn't even touched it since he gave it to him a few weeks back.

"Happy." Kelly managed to choke out, crawling into his lap and hiding her face in his leather covered shoulder. He put his hand on her bare back and held her close. The last time he saw her cry like this was one of the last times he'd seen her. It wasn't his proudest moment. She seemed so small in his arms, fragile even. "I'm sorry."

"Don't, angel. You don't have a damn thing to apologize for." He said, resting his chin on top of her head as her crying seemed to slow down a little. She shuddered and he moved his hand from her back and covered her up a little more with the sheet. Happy kissed the top of her head, wishing he could take some of her pain from her.

"I shouldn't have talked to Clay like that." Kelly managed as her sobbing slowed down enough to let her breathe. She felt Happy's chest rise and fall with a sigh.

"Kelly, if he can't handle you calling him out then he don't need to be president. You hearing me, girl?" Happy pulled her chin up gently and she nodded with swollen, puffy eyes. "I brought you some medicine and food."

"You didn't have to do that, Happy." Kelly said, seeing warmth in his eyes. He hitched a shoulder and watched her crawl out of the floor, holding the sheet over her body. He got up with a groan, paying for the lack of sleep and long hours on the road recently. Kelly opened the brown paper bag and smiled at the blueberry muffin, her favorite food of all time. There were also a bottle of pills and a bottle of orange juice in the bag as well.

She took a bite of the muffin as she opened the pill bottle and shook a couple pills into her palm. It was the first thing she had eaten since yesterday morning. Happy watched her closely, but she tried not to let on that she noticed. She and Happy had their history and it wasn't all pretty but she couldn't deny that he was being good to her, at least right now.

"Are you the one that opened the curtains?" She asked leaning against the desk. Happy nodded and took a drink of her orange juice. Kelly nodded and decided not to bother with asking how he'd gotten back in the room, she knew he had his ways. "You can read the letter if you want."

"No. That's between you and Kozik." Happy said with a unintentional snap to his words. Kelly nodded, understanding his insistence. She remembered a time that she would have taken his snap offensively and started a huge fight with him. "Why haven't you gotten it covered up or removed?"

"I almost did. I had an appointment to get it covered up. I never went though. I just, didn't go." Kelly admitted, remembering making plenty of excuses to her then husband. After their divorce, getting it removed or covered up wasn't something she ever thought about again. It had been a big part of her life at one time.

"Figured the old man would have made you." Happy caught himself getting pissed at her again. Kelly flicked her eyes up to his and nodded with pursed lips. She knew he was bitter about her marriage back when it first happened, but didn't realize that he would still care.

"I don't want to fight with you, Happy. We all make mistakes." Kelly said, turning to pull clean clothes out of her suitcase. Happy again looked at the skull tattooed between her shoulder blades with SOA above it and the word forever tattooed in script below it. He'd marked her with that a year before everything went to shit. Kelly looked up and noticed him staring at it. "Do you want me to remove it?"

"Get dressed, girl." Kelly frowned at his lack of answer but knew better than to press the issue right now, especially when she had shut down the last question he'd asked her. She walked into the bathroom and dressed quickly before brushing her teeth and running a brush through her hair. Makeup didn't take too long, she just threw some mascara on with a little bit of lotion. "Want to ride?"

It had been a long time since she'd been on the back of a motorcycle. The last time was when Herman had picked her up from the Tacoma clubhouse and taken her home after a big fight with Happy. Kelly hesitated but eventually nodded slowly. There was no telling when the opportunity would come up again and she felt like it would be a good way to honor her brother who lived for those bikes. She followed Happy down the steps to the parking lot, feeling like the reaper on his back was staring right at her.

She took the helmet Happy offered her and strapped it on before climbing on behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and waited for the rumble beneath her. Happy started the bike and twisted the throttle wide open before letting the rpm's fall back down. He felt Kelly hold him a little tighter and smirked. He kicked the stand up and shifted down into first, starting off slow while they were in the parking lot. As soon as his back tire hit the road, Happy quickly accelerated and flew through gears. He knew how much she used to hate going fast on the bike with him.

"You're such an asshole." Kelly said, shoving his helmet into his chest after climbing off the bike. Happy laughed and hung the helmet on his handlebars, glad to have successfully taken her mind off why she had come to Charming, even if it was only temporary. Kelly couldn't help but smile as he smirked at her like everything around them hadn't gone to hell. She found herself thinking about Herman's letter up until the point that Gemma Teller stormed out of the clubhouse.

"Are you Kozik's sister?" She said, stopping a few paces away. She didn't miss Happy tensing and moving closer to the blonde. The woman's smile faded as she nodded and stood up a little bit taller. Gemma wanted to rip her a new one for how she'd talked to Clay, but held back out of respect for Kozik. He had been one of the good ones in Gemma's books. "I'm sorry about your loss, sweetheart."

"Thanks." Kelly said, not completely trusting the matriarch. Her reputation proceeded her and Kelly wanted no part of being on the woman's bad side. She could take care of her self, but she knew that doing so would have a lot of repercussions if she ever wanted to come around the club again. Kelly's mind came to a stand still. She hadn't even thought about being around the club after she left Charming. Aside from her tattoo, Herman had been her only connection to the club anymore. She glanced up at Happy, wondering how the damn man got under her skin already.

Happy watched as Kelly walked past Gemma and disappeared into the clubhouse, leaving Gemma and Happy on the lot alone. He lit a cigarette to give him a minute of solitude before going into the packed clubhouse. Members of SAMTAC and several NOMADS had come to Charming for the Wake, so it was at capacity. He cut his eyes over at Gemma, wondering if she wasn't getting the clue that he wanted space.

"There something going on there?" Gemma asked, gesturing between the moody biker and the clubhouse door that Kelly had used. Happy took a long drag off the cigarette. He narrowed his eyes at Gemma, not appreciating the intrusion into thier personal lives.

"You're not my old lady, Gemma. Stay out of it." Happy said gruffly. She pursed her lips, unhappy with his refusal to give out information. She should have known that he wouldn't talk to her about the woman. He was always a private person. She headed into the clubhouse, figuring that she may be easier to get information out of.

Gemma found the blonde standing near the bar, speaking with Lee's old lady Mary. She nodded to the SAMTAC queen as she joined their conversation.

"You're always welcome in Tacoma, Kelly. If you need anything, anything at all, you just have to ask." Mary said, rubbing Kelly's arm. The younger woman nodded and gave her a hug. When they pulled apart, Gemma took her chance.

"Seems like you may be spending some time here." Gemma said, giving both Kelly and Mary a smile. Kelly's brow shot up as she turned to look at Gemma. "You and Happy. There's something there."

"Gemma, she's here for her brother's wake. Leave the inquisition for some other time." Mary said, jumping in before Kelly's temper flared. Mary had been around for the Happy and Kelly era and knew that Gemma was nosing around in a very sensitive situation. Kelly took her chance to escape the conversation as the two matriarchs had a staring match. She made her way over to the memorial that was set up.

"How you doing, Kelly?" Jax asked as she looked at the leather cut that was lying on a table near a picture of Herman. Kelly shook her head, not in the mood to lie. She didn't have to be okay right now, this was her only brother's wake. Jax had met Kelly a few times both in Tacoma and the couple times she came to Charming, he knew it wasn't like her to be so subdued.

She turned to look at Jax and was honestly surprised to see how affected he seemed to be by the wake as well. She didn't think him a cold or uncaring man like Clay Morrow, but it still surprised her. He put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a little squeeze. Kelly swallowed hard and nodded, giving him a small smile, remembering just how different their first encounter had been seven years ago.

Tacoma, WA 2003

Kelly hopped off the back of Happy's bike, sliding her hand into his back pocket after he stood up and took his helmet off. It was her first rally with Happy and she was both nervous and excited. She had on short denim cut-offs, knee high black boots and a flannel shirt tied up just below her boobs. Her brother was leaning against his bike, rolling his eyes at his little sister's outfit.

"Kel, what the fuck are you wearing?" He asked, giving Happy a brotherly hug. Kelly noticed a cut on his cheek and a fresh bruise on his chin.

"What happened to your face?" Kelly countered his question and he rolled his eyes motioning towards Happy.

"Think I'm going to let my little bird whore around with this thug without a fight?" Herman asked with a chuckle. Kelly froze, wondering why Happy would have beat him up. When both men started laughing, Kelly narrowed her eyes. "Chill, Kel, we went to the ring. I told Happy if he beat me he could make a move. Didn't think you'd be dumb enough to give him a chance."

"She practically begged me." Happy rasped, giving her a wink. Kelly wanted to laugh but figured that may bruise his ego a little. The truth of the matter was that he'd been trying to get in her pants for a long time and she finally agreed to go to the rally with him to shut him up and stop him from showing up at her dorm again.

"Hey Killer!" Kelly turned around to see a blonde about her age walking over with an exaggerated swagger. He looked like he could be her brother, blonde hair and bright blue eyes just like she and Kozik. Happy nodded, giving the younger man a hug. Kelly wondered what the nickname was about. She knew most the club had nicknames, went by their last name or something like that, but there was always a story behind the nicknames. "Hey darlin'."

"Jax, this is my little sister Kelly. Kelly, this is Jax Teller, he's set to be VP in Charming." Kozik said, making the introduction with a wry smile towards Happy. Jax smirked and gave her a nod, scanning her from head to toe and back up to her boobs. Kelly recognized that he was attractive and seemed to ooze confidence, but he wasn't her type. She realized that Happy didn't seem to know that because he looked pissed, really pissed.

"How's it going?" Kelly asked, enjoying the jealousy from Happy. Jax smiled broadly and moved closer to her. Happy spit the toothpick out of his mouth and headed off, showing Kelly that he was a little more pissed than she'd meant to make him. "Sorry, my ride is walking away. I'll catch ya later."

"Hey, have you seen Happy?" Kelly asked Herman after an unproductive search for the man she'd come to the rally with. She watched her normally light hearted brother shift uncomfortably.

"Listen, Kel. I get that you and Hap aren't really together but what you did with Jax back there doesn't work. You came with Happy, that's who you're supposed to be here for." Herman said with a shake of his head. "Do you like Happy?"

"Yeah, I mean, he's a pushy asshole but I have bad taste in guys. He's actually pissed because I spoke to Jax?" Kelly's mind was all but blown, wondering how a grown man could be so childish.

"Kelly, you did that shit for a reason." Herman called her on her shit and she let her shoulders droop a little, knowing he was right. Kelly looked up to see Happy entering her line of sight. He had a brunette under his arm and a dark look in his eyes. Kelly knew this game well and she wasn't about to let him know how much that bothered her.

For the rest of the night, Kelly was on Jax's arm. He used smooth line after smooth line on her. She didn't mind his company and enjoyed the rally, but she knew that it was Happy she wanted to be there with. They'd run into Happy a few times during the night and each time he was grumpier and grumpier, refusing to even look at or acknowledge Kelly.

When things started winding down and people started to leave, she saw the brunette getting on Happy's bike. That's when she turned around and kissed Jax, full on the lips. Happy tore out of the row of bikes, obviously having seen what she'd done.

"You're playing with fire, Kelly Kozik." Jax had said when she stepped back. She looked up at him, a little embarrassed. "Think I don't know what you've been doing? I don't mind, having a hot bitch on my arm all night was nice but I know you got something for Killer."

"I'm sorry, Jax." Kelly said sheepishly. She twisted her mouth and looked up at him. "Why is he called Killer?"

"That's something you can ask him when you kick that sweetbutt out of his bed. Let's go, darlin'." Jax led her over to his bike and gave her a hand, becoming the third man she'd ever ridden on a motorcycle with.

PRESENT DAY

"You need a drink?" It was Happy's voice that pulled Kelly out of her memories. She nodded and followed him to the bar. She turned back and looked at the large group of subdued club members and their families that were milling around the clubhouse. "Here."

"Thank you." She said, taking the glass of whiskey with a single ice cube. He nodded and took a drink of his beer, not risking getting too drunk to take her back to her hotel. Kelly took a deep breath and shook her head, still trying to deny the truth. Happy was going to hug her when he saw Lee walking over to them. Kelly set her whiskey down to give the Tacoma President a big hug. He smoothed her hair and kissed the top of her head. Happy knew Kelly looked up to that man like a father, but it bothered him that Lee got to comfort her instead of him.

"You hanging in there, doll?" Lee asked, searching Kelly's face for some clue on how she was holding up. Kelly shrugged and took a step back to where she had been standing next to Happy and grabbed her glass, lifting it to Lee. "That well, huh?"

"If I could kill him again for leaving me I would. We were supposed to grow old and play tricks on nurses in the old folks homes." Kelly said with a warm smile. She remembered coming up with the plan with Herman a few months after he'd come back from the war. Lee laughed and squeezed her shoulder.

"He loved you, Kelly. You're part of the family, you know that. You come by anytime." Lee said with complete honesty. Kelly appreciated the offer but silently wondered if she could manage being around SAMTAC without her brother. Lee gave Happy a nod before heading back to make his rounds with SAMCRO.

"Happy?" Kelly broke the ten minutes of silence between them softly. He looked over at her and saw the dullness of her eyes. She hadn't even finished her drink, so she definitely wasn't drunk. "Do you think we could get out of here? Ride out somewhere? I'm not ready for this."

"Let's go." Happy said with a nod. She nodded and finished off her drink with a gulp before pushing away from the bar. Happy was straightening his leather as Clay walked up to them. Happy was automatically on defense, stepping slightly in front of Kelly. Clay didn't miss his brother's movement and reminded himself to bring it up with him in private, some time after the Kozik woman was gone.

"I come in peace. Kelly, I wanted to make sure you get Kozik's leather. You need any help packing his stuff up?" Clay asked, trying to gauge when she would be gone. Kelly shook her head, leaning towards Happy.

"No, I can manage it. I'll pick up his cut before I leave out Monday morning." It was the first time Happy had heard her talk about a set day she was leaving and it dropped a good amount of lead into his stomach. Clay nodded and Kelly dropped her smile as soon as he turned away. She'd meant everything she said yesterday. She blamed his shortcomings as a leader for Herman's death. He'd made his own choices but as president, Clay was supposed to watch out for his men. "Let's go, Hap."

The minute they rolled off the lot, Kelly got her first real breath of air since arriving at the clubhouse. She relaxed and let the wind and open road clear her mind, just like Herman had told her about. He'd called it almost magical and it really was. Being on the road with a Harley beneath her made her feel closer to her brother and it was exactly what she needed. It made her miss him but not in the painful, gut wrenching way everything else seemed to.

Happy could feel the difference in the way Kelly was sitting and holding him the longer they rode. She had clung to him, stiff and rigid on the lot, only to relax and loosen her hold as soon as they were on the open road. For that reason, he just kept riding with no real destination other than forward. He watched Kelly as she pointed towards a pull-off a few hundred feet ahead. They were up in the mountains and hadn't seen a car for miles, so he went ahead and pulled off as she asked.

Neither of them said a word after dismounting the Harley. Happy was checking his front forks, feeling like they were getting a little soft as Kelly walked over towards the edge of the gravel. She was looking out over the California sunset and just enjoying the moment. She didn't have to think here, she could just be. She didn't notice Happy watching her from a few yards away, distracted by the way the sun hit her skin and seemed to make it glow.

Kelly stood there, just looking until the sun sank past the horizon and a chill started setting in. She looked up at the sky, wondering just how many times in the past thirty years she and Herman had watched the stars together. She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling both lonely and cold. She heard the gravels crunching under Happy's boots as he walked up from behind her.

"I'm leaving Monday morning, Happy." She said, turning around and taking the hooded sweater he offered her. Kelly was well aware that she had been gravitating towards Happy since arriving in Charming, but told herself that it was because he was familiar. She didn't want to admit that seeing him had opened old wounds and reignited the fire she'd once carried for him. She knew that this was a vulnerable time in her life. She wouldn't let that turn her life upside down.

"I heard you." Happy growled. He knew that going back to Tacoma was the best thing for her. He wasn't what she needed. He knew that within weeks, maybe days of staying in Charming, they'd be right back to the problems they'd had in the past. She was hard headed and argumentative and he was pushy and impatient. They'd tried the old lady/old man thing before and it didn't work.

"Just making sure you knew." Kelly said, pulling the sleeves of his sweater over her hands. He nodded and scowled at the way the woman had already gotten under his skin. Happy walked back over to his motorcycle, trying to distance himself from her for both their sakes. Kelly didn't miss the way he looked at her and wished she didn't feel the same way. Obviously he knew it would never work though, just like she did. "We can head back whenever you're ready. I've got a long day of packing tomorrow."

"Aight." Happy said, handing her the helmet again. She didn't know why she wanted to apologize to him. She didn't have anything to apologize for. Kelly wrapped her arms around Happy's waist and held on tight, pressing her cheek against his top rocker and fighting irrational tears.

Happy pulled onto the lot of the hotel and gave Kelly a hand off the bike. She was relieved that he didn't shut the engine off or even kick the stand down. Leaving was already going to be hard without spending any more time with the man. She appreciated his shoulder being there to cry on but she was leaving and he was still the same person she'd been left by three years ago.

"Thank you, Happy." Kelly said, handing his helmet back to him. He nodded and held it in his hand as she stuffed her hands into the sweater pockets and headed upstairs to her room. He wasn't going to ask for the sweater back. He had plenty of them.

Kelly didn't realize she was still wearing Happy's sweater until she was undressing for bed. She sighed and pushed the fabric up towards her nose, savoring the familiar smell of Old Spice and leather with a hint of smoke. He had been trying to quit smoking ever since she'd known him but when he was stressed or drunk, he'd have a smoke. She finished undressing and pulled the sweater back on, giving herself one last indulgence before going back to reality tomorrow.

SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA

Happy opened the door to Kozik's apartment with the spare key he kept under the mat. He expected to see Kelly packing shit and going through all Kozik's crap. He didn't expect to see the apartment almost completely emptied. The only thing he saw was Kozik's leather on the kitchen counter with a piece of paper on top.

He read through the three sentence note before balling it up in his hand and pounding his fists down onto the counter. The rage that consumed him caught him by surprise, which only served to make him even angrier. He grabbed his fallen brother's cut and left the apartment, cramming the crumpled paper into the inside pocket of his own cut before securing Kozik's in his saddle bag and taking off.

Kelly was tired of crying but that didn't stop the tears from falling as she drove back to Tacoma. She had her Audi loaded down with her brother's belongings, thankful that the furniture stayed with the apartment he'd rented. She'd woken up before four in the morning, full of determination to get out of Charming. The soft fabric of Happy's sweater absorbed her tears as she wiped the sleeve under her eyes. She'd gone to Charming missing one man and left missing two.

Thank you for your favs, follow and reviews. Shout out to Karina, .1 and LilyEve13 for reviews, greatly appreciated. I plan to keep chapters longer and update at least once a week, hopefully more when time permits.


	3. Chapter 3

Two months after Kelly left Charming, she was finally getting back in her normal routine. Nights were still a little tough, but she was getting through it. Work helped, especially since she had started picking up more and more overtime. She tried to stay busy and avoided spending too much time alone. She'd taken a lateral move at work, getting out of the ICU and into the emergency room. If anyone asked her, she told them she was looking for a change of pace. In fact, she was really wanting to help save as many people as possible since she wasn't there to help Herman.

"Kelly! Hey, I haven't seen you in a couple weeks. How do you like the ER?" John asked, sitting down beside Kelly in the cafeteria. She looked up from her salad and gave him a warm smile.

"I really like it. How are things down in ICU?" She asked, making casual conversation. He laughed and poured ketchup on his hamburger. Kelly took a bite of her meal and waited for his answer.

"It's normal, Tina is still using made up abbreviations in the charts." They both shared a short laugh. "I was planning on going to The Honest Pint tonight. Would you want to maybe have a drink?"

"I'm actually working a sixteen today and work tomorrow morning." Kelly said, thankful to have a reason rather than just saying no. It was always awkward when she just turned people down and she hated hurting people. John nodded and his smile remained.

"How about tomorrow then?" Of course he would know the rules about overtime. He knew that she couldn't work two consecutive extended shifts. She looked down at her fork and stabbed some spinach leaves. When she looked up to answer, someone walking into the cafeteria caught her eye. Her throat seemed incapable of swallowing and the food in her mouth felt like dry sand. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry. Can we talk about this later?" Kelly asked, standing up and picking her tray up. John didn't understand the sudden shift in her mood. He watched her put her tray on a conveyor and walk over to a tall, bald man with a leather vest and tattoos. John had met her late brother when she started at the hospital two years ago and recognized that the man Kelly was toe to toe with had the same patch on his back.

"Happy? Is everything okay?" Kelly asked, getting close to him so she could keep her voice down. He nodded and she twisted her mouth, wondering what he was doing at the hospital if something wasn't wrong. She'd talked to Mary yesterday and she hadn't mentioned SAMCRO coming up. She liked to think the woman would have given her a heads up. Then again, she was adamant that nothing was going on between them, so maybe Mary believed Charming coming into town wouldn't matter to her.

Happy could see the wheels turning in her mind. She always got a little crease between her eyebrows when she was thinking. He hadn't missed her leaving a table where she'd been sitting with some guy in blue scrubs. That same guy kept looking back at them every so often and it was getting on his nerves. He turned his attention to the way Kelly's gray scrubs covered up the curves that he knew were under there. It pleased him that people at the hospital didn't get a good look at her.

"What are you doing here, Happy?" Kelly finally asked after she ruled out every logical reason. He smirked and she had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. He took hold of the bottom of her scrub top and pulled her a little closer.

"Wanted to see you, girl. Your boyfriend gonna get pissed?" He growled, enjoying the color that was rising in Kelly's cheeks. She was at a loss for who he was talking about for a moment. She shook her head and glanced back at the table where she'd left John.

"He's not my boyfriend, not that it's any of your business." Kelly bit back, wanting no part of Happy's games. She didn't want this to start up again. She thought she was doing a fine job of forgetting he existed, up until he showed up. He watched as a frown crossed her lips. She was kidding herself. She missed him, or at least the side of him she'd seen when she went to Charming.

"Everything okay, Kelly?" John walked up when he'd picked up on Kelly's frown. She looked from John to Happy and narrowed her eyes, warning him to behave. Happy looked over at John with a scowl.

"We're fine." Happy rasped, wondering what Kelly could see in this guy. He was short and scrawny with a widows peak. Kelly put her hand on the center of Happy's chest and shook her head with a smile.

"I'm fine, John. He was just leaving." Kelly growled, looking back up at Happy. Happy turned his narrowed eyes over to her and nodded, pushing his toothpick over to the other side of his mouth.

"I'll see you tonight, Kel." Happy said, cupping her cheek with his hand before giving John one last glare and heading out of the hospital. He hated hospitals.

"I'm sorry, Kelly. If I knew you were seeing someone, I wouldn't have asked you out like that." John said with a sheepish smile before headed down the hall towards the ICU. Kelly let her shoulders drop and turned her face towards the ceiling, wondering what in the hell just happened. She pulled her stethoscope out of her pocket and hung it around her neck, grumbling to herself as she headed in the opposite direction as both John and Happy.

Seven hours later, Kelly clocked out after being thrown up on twice and getting blood all over her new shoes. She was tired and wanted to go home and relax, not deal with Happy Lowman. There was a little bit of a chill in the air and the sky looked like it could open up any minute as she jogged out to her car. She got her door closed just as the first drops of rain hit the windshield. At least one thing went right today, she said to herself.

"Sure, just let yourself in, Happy." Kelly said as she pulled into her garage, past Happy's motorcycle. She knew there was no chance that he would be waiting outside in the rain. Kelly also knew the asshole would probably use the rain as an excuse to stay at her place longer. "Hey."

"Long night?" Happy asked, looking up from the magazine he'd already read twice. Kelly nodded and closed the door behind her, making sure to flip the deadbolt before dropping her keys on the counter. Happy could tell she was tired and her scrubs didn't look anywhere as clean as they did earlier.

"Yeah, sick kids and a bad car wreck victim. I'm exhausted Happy, so just say what you came to say." Kelly said, cutting out the small talk. Happy closed the magazine and she resisted a laugh. It was this month's Cosmopolitan.

"I didn't come to say anything, girl. I wanted to see you. See how you were doing." Happy said, standing up and walking towards her. She took a step back, gesturing at her scrubs. "Girl, I've been covered in worse."

"I'm doing fine, Happy. I miss him but there's nothing I can do but deal with it. Please don't do this." She said, putting her head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. She was too tired to fight with him.

"You seeing somebody?" Happy asked, searching her face as she tilted it up to him. He ground his teeth at her rolling eyes but didn't comment on it. It was one of his pet peeves when they would argue.

"No, I'm not. If I was, they wouldn't be a biker that cheated on me with some random bitch in a clubhouse bathroom." Kelly snapped, pushing away from him. Happy growled, knowing he deserved that but pissed that she had to bring it up. He followed her down the hall to her bathroom.

"That was years ago, Kelly. You wanna tell me you weren't fucking that cop you married when we were together?" Happy asked. Kelly turned around and slapped him across the face with a loud pop. He caught her wrist and narrowed his eyes.

"Fuck you! You know damn well I would never cheat on you!" Kelly said, jerking her wrist away from him. She knew in the back of her mind that he let her take her wrist back. He made her so angry when it came to her marriage and eventual divorce. Happy remembered the first time he'd been slapped for that same question.

 ** _Tacoma: May 2007_**

Happy saw Kelly's almost white blonde hair and threw another shot down his throat. He didn't expect her to come to the rally, considering they had broken things off last August. It was common knowledge that she was dating a cop now. The only reason it wasn't a bigger problem was because Kozik was vouching for her and Lee's old lady trusted her. She looked as hot as ever and it pissed him off even more.

"You bring the law with you, girl?" He growled after she ignored him and spoke to several other members and old ladies under the tent. Kelly narrowed her eyes at him, further ignoring him and all but infuriating him.

"Come on, you two play nice." Kozik said, wrapping his arm around his little sister's shoulders and giving Happy a look. Happy nodded, lighting up a cigarette. He was willing to ignore the woman for his brother. Their mutual act of ignoring one another was going well until a sweet butt mentioned a certain piece of jewelry Kelly was wearing.

"Damn, Kelly, don't go swimming with that thing on! You'll sink right to the bottom!" The redhead said, drawing all attention to Kelly. Happy had a dark haired girl on his lap, going to town on his neck and grinding her crotch all over his jeans. He looked past the woman to see the ring on Kelly's finger as she nervously tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. Kelly was looking right at him, not saying a word.

Kelly took a step back when Happy stormed over towards her, but she wasn't fast enough. He grabbed her wrist and dragged her away from the crowd, including her brother. She hissed at the tight grip and he let go. They shared a glare for a moment before Happy spoke.

"How long were you fucking him when we were together, Kel?" Happy growled. Kelly's upper lip curled and she drew her hand back, gaining momentum for a solid slap to the side of his face. He had to give it to her, she put some force behind it. Had it been an actual punch, he may have broken his promise to his Ma to never hit a woman. He spit his toothpick out and advanced on her.

"Fuck you, Happy! Out of the two of us, only one is a cheating piece of shit. All those days you'd be out on the road and the three months you were locked up, I never once touched another man! You're the one who fucked that whore in the bathroom!" Kelly yelled, wishing she had enough room to hit him again.

"You took the ink, bitch. I could have fucked twenty other bitches but you were my old lady, Kelly. How's he like that staring up at him? Knowing he's fucking a biker's whore turn him on?" Happy growled, talking out of pain and the buzz he had going. Kelly's eyes were holding back tears and it took some of the heat out of his veins.

"I loved you, asshole! You fucked her to hurt me and you know it! What did you do when I tried to talk to you? You left the fucking state for months! God, I hate you!" Kelly yelled, her tears finally falling. She turned away and stormed away to her car without another word.

Happy lit another cigarette, realizing he'd almost gone through the pack he'd had all week in the few hours since Kelly had showed up. He let out a huff when he saw Kozik walking over to him. His brother had made it a point to stay out of the shit between Kelly and Happy.

"You good, brother?" Kozik asked before taking a swig of his beer. Happy nodded, hoping to avoid a conversation about the fight. "She came here to see you, bro. Told me she wanted to smooth shit over before they got married."

"What the fuck for?" Happy hated feeling any kind of way about Kelly. He'd never meant to get feelings for any woman and now the one time he did, he couldn't shake them.

"That's just who she is. Little bird can't stand hurting people she cares about." Kozik said, shaking his head. Happy scoffed and snuffed his cigarette out with the toe of his boot.

"Can't hurt somebody that doesn't care." Happy said, clapping Kozik on the shoulder before heading back to the tent. He needed more liquor and a good blow job to keep him from killing somebody, specifically somebody with a badge.

 **Present Day**

"I didn't come here to fight with you, girl." Happy said, apologizing in his own way. Kelly knew better than to expect him to say sorry. She swallowed hard and turned back around to look at him.

"Then why did you come here, really, Happy? If you wanted to see if I was okay, you could have asked Lee or Mary. Why?" Kelly was searching his face, just wanting him to tell her the truth. He was never one to lie but he'd give every other partial truth he could to avoid revealing too much.

"I miss you, angel. Wish to hell I didn't." He said, his shoulder dropping a little as he admitted it to the both of them. Kelly knew that when he showed up to the hospitals. He'd never liked them and that dislike had grown into a hatred some years ago. She knew that voluntarily showing up at the hospital without a life and death situation could only mean one thing.

"I don't think the rain is letting up any time soon. You can stay here if you want. I have a guest room." Kelly offered. Happy didn't have any plan on staying in a different room, but he'd take what he could get after having pissed her off. "There's room in the garage for your bike."

"Alright. Take a shower, girl. You smell like shit." Happy smirked and watched as Kelly's tired eyes lit up with a laugh. She nodded and walked into the bathroom, still laughing as she closed the door behind her.

Kelly knew she was in trouble. Having Happy coming to see her and letting him stay wasn't going to end well. She turned the water all the way to the left and stripped out of her soiled scrubs as it heated up. When she started to see steam, she turned her towel warmer on and stepped into the shower. The hot water helped her relax as she mulled things over in her mind.

She wasn't surprised when she walked out of the bathroom to find Happy standing in her bedroom, looking at the newly arranged picture collage. He looked over at her slowly and then back at the collage. She knew there were several pictures of the two of them with Herman. She'd justified including them in the collage because her brother was in the pictures.

"You still burn your skin off?" Happy asked, his eyes on the wall. Kelly looked down at her pink skin and shrugged. After joint showers, that normally meant shower sex, he'd always let her turn the heat up after he got out. She pulled on a pair of silky shorts and a ribbed tank before starting to towel dry her hair.

"Did you bring your bike in?" Kelly asked. Happy turned around, leaning against her dresser with a nod. She nodded and continued toweling her hair. "How long are you in town?"

"Gotta be back on Monday. You off before then?" He asked watching the way her shirt raised a little as she raised her arms to mess with her hair.

"I'm off Sunday." Kelly said, looking forward to her first day not working in almost a month. Tomorrow was the only day that stood between her and relaxing, or at least that had been the plan before Happy showed up.

"Good." Happy said, shrugging his cut off. Kelly raised her brow and paused her work on drying her hair. "I'm not staying in the guest room, girl. Came to see you."

"Happy," Kelly started, thinking about telling him it was that time of the month. She then remembered that he wouldn't care even if it were true. "Fine but if you stay in here tonight then that means we have an actual conversation about whatever this is tomorrow after work."

"You giving me an ultimatum, girl?" Happy asked, pulling his shirt over his head. She folded her arms across her chest and he tried not to laugh. He knew they'd have to talk about shit eventually. "A'ight."

Kelly crawled into her bed and watched him as he stripped down to his boxer-briefs. She couldn't remember a time she'd seen him in underwear that wasn't black. She liked it though. It went well with his ink. She let her eyes trace his body and found herself biting her lip before he even got close to the bed. She left work exhausted but as soon as he was in her bed, she seemed to find a second wind.

"What was that about a guest room?" Happy growled as Kelly pushed the covers down and straddled him. She rolled her eyes and raked her nails over his scalp. He smirked and stretched his neck. Kelly knew he loved when she did that.

Happy grabbed her hips and pressed her down on top of his hardened dick, knowing she wanted him as much as he wanted her. She moaned and he slid his hands up, pulling her tank off so he could get to her ample breasts. Happy always considered himself a leg and ass man but Kelly had just as nice a rack as she had an ass. He pulled her down and took a rosy nipple in his mouth, swirling his tongue around it as it responded and hardened between his teeth.

"Face down ass up, Kel." Happy growled, pushing her off him. She drug her tongue across her lip as she shimmied her shorts off and did as he said. "Still don't wear underwear to bed?"

"I usually don't wear anything to bed. Do you want to talk dress code or fuck me, killer?" Kelly asked, looking over her shoulder at him as he rolled a condom on. He sucked on his teeth and smacked his hand down on her right ass cheek. She flinched and moaned with a wicked grin.

"Don't be a smartass, angel." He said, slamming into her without a warning. She gasped and bit down on the pillow to keep from screaming his name. He felt the way her body tightened around him and growled, loving that he could still push her buttons. He grabbed a handful of her ass and thrusted into her once more before pausing, buried deep within her. "Your ex make you this wet, girl?"

Kelly whimpered as he groped her ass and stayed still, refusing to continue until she answered the question. She tried to move and he held her in place. "No, he didn't. Damnit, Happy. Either fuck me or move so I can do it myself."

"There's that dirty mouth." He pulled back and slammed forward into her, smacking his abs into her ass. "That what you want, Kel?"

"Yes, please, Hap." Kelly was wound up tight and just wanted him to let her find her release. She heard him groan and knew he was done messing with her. There was no doubt it was going to hurt to sit tomorrow but it was worth it. She struggled to catch a breath as he drove her to the edge. He put his hand on the back of her neck and pushed her further into the pillow, shoving her right off that cliff. She clawed at the sheets and arched her back as she tightened around him. Happy joined her in the ecstasy and stilled as he rode it out with her.

"I'm using your shower." Happy said, pulling out of her and watching her body shudder with a satisfied grin. She nodded and cleaned herself up with the towel she'd used from her earlier shower.

"I have to get up early for work. There are towels under the counter." Kelly said, hoping he wouldn't wake her when he came back to bed. He nodded as he walked into the bathroom and turned the bedroom light out. Kelly rolled over onto her side, realizing this would be the first night she wouldn't sleep in his sweater since coming back from Charming.

Happy appreciated the water pressure in Kelly's shower. It was far superior to the clubhouse's shower. He dried off and hung the damp towel on the drying rack before heading back in the bedroom. The sweater hanging on the back of the bathroom door made him pause. It was the one he'd let her wear the night before she left Charming. He brought it to his nose and smiled, knowing she must have worn it because it smelled like her shampoo more than leather now.

He turned the light off before opening the door, hoping to avoid waking her up. When his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw her sleeping peacefully towards the edge of the bed. Instead of going over and getting in next to her, Happy leaned against the door frame and watched her for a few minutes. She was just as beautiful as the day he'd met her and it made him wonder why he'd let her go.

Before he could get lost in his thoughts, Kelly let out a little whimper and it snapped him out of it. He grabbed fresh underwear out of his backpack that was sitting by the door and stepped into it before getting into the bed behind her. As soon as his arm was around her waist, she scooted back towards him and relaxed. He kissed her shoulder and relaxed, knowing his Glock was on the table beside him.

Kelly woke up to her alarm going off and Happy's arm pulling her closer to him. She stretched her arm and pulled her phone to the edge of the nightstand with her fingertips, barely managing to shut the alarm off before it got louder. She pulled her arm back and rolled over to face Happy. He was keeping his eyes shut, not ready to wake up.

"What time is it?" Happy groaned as Kelly ran her fingers up his side. She laughed and he scowled, still refusing to open his eyes.

"Five. Are you going to be here when I get off?" Kelly asked, pressing a kiss to his lips. He groaned and kissed her back.

"What time is that?" He asked, knowing he needed to go deal with some stuff for Tacoma. It was his excuse for coming up north.

"Seven. I can bring Chinese for dinner." Kelly offered, slipping out of his hold to get ready for work. Happy rolled over to his stomach and turned his head to watch her get dressed.

"Yeah, I'll be here. You ain't gonna bitch about it anymore?" He asked, enjoying the view of her ass as she bent down to find something in her dresser.

"Would it do any good?" Kelly asked with a laugh. She knew it wouldn't and really didn't find the need to anyways. He made a noise in his throat and Kelly looked back to see his eyes on her. "No, Happy. I don't have time."

"Shut up and get over here." He growled, raising the sheets up for her. She couldn't resist the way she knew he'd make her feel and hurried over. "Don't touch the fucking light."

 **SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA SOA**

"Sorry I'm late." Kelly said, rushing up to the nurse's station. Meredith looked up at the normally punctual woman and nodded.

"It's fine. I need you to work the ICU today. They had two call in's and John requested you." The gray haired woman said, motioning down the hall. Kelly nodded and headed across the hospital as soon as she clocked in. John was walking out of a patient room as she walked out of the elevator.

"You okay?" John asked, closing the door behind him and putting the chart back in the door after making his notes. Kelly raised her brow, wondering why he would ask. "Your neck is kind of red."

"Yeah, I tried to get out of the car without undoing the belt. I'm not used to running late." Kelly lied, refusing to tell him that she liked it rough and that a certain biker had met her needs and then some this morning. She had a feeling John wasn't a big fan of Happy considering he'd just asked her out and Happy had made it clear that he'd at least intended on seeing her last night.

"Oh, okay." John didn't want to blow her cover and embarrass her by pointing out that the mark was on the right side of her neck. If it had been her seatbelt, it would be on the left. "Can you take rooms three, five and six?"

"Yeah, that's fine." Kelly said, ready to get her shift started. She went to room three first, reading over the chart before entering the room. The prognosis wasn't good. The patient had several gunshot wounds to the chest and he'd crashed twice since getting out of surgery yesterday morning. She wasn't surprised to see two police officers in the room when she walked inside. It was fairly typical when someone came in after being shot.

"Ingle?" She looked over at the younger officer in the corner and bit her lip. That had been her married name for all of about a minute. She checked the fluid bags that were hanging by the bed and made a couple notes.

"It's back to Kozik now. How are you, Wright?" Kelly asked, knowing he should have known she and Tom had gotten divorced. She moved on to documenting the patient's vitals.

"My bad. I'm good. You taking care of this turd today?" Wright asked, pointing at the man in the hospital bed with his hand shaped like a gun. Kelly ignored his insensitive gesture, knowing she didn't know the full story behind what had landed this man on the wrong side of the law.

"Yeah, they were short handed. I'm normally in the ER." Kelly said, finishing up with the patient and closing the chart. "Good to see you Wright. I'll be back in an hour for his pain meds."

"Can't you skip that shit? He deserves the pain." Wright said with a laugh. Kelly gave him a polite smile before shaking her head and pulling the door closed. She knew that Wright and her ex were on the same patrol team. She hoped he wouldn't run his mouth about seeing her.

Kelly sat down across from Lydia in the cafeteria and drank her first of two bottles of water quickly. She was used to the fast pace of the ER now, but having three rooms in the ICU was exhausting. The only saving grace was knowing they could only keep her for eight hours today. She only had about four more to go.

"You look beat." Lydia said, noticing the way Kelly propped herself up on her elbow that was on the table. Kelly nodded and bit a french fry in half.

"I thought when Meredith told me I was working the ICU, the worst part would be working with John after turning him down. I'm too damn busy to even worry about anything being awkward." Kelly said, partially thankful for that. Lydia laughed and nodded her head. She'd never worked under John in the ICU but knew him from around the hospital.

"Believe it or not, we're having a pretty routine day in the pit. Did you work over yesterday?" Lydia asked, assuming she had since she normally did. Kelly nodded and Lydia shook her head. "More power to you."

"Ugh, I only have twenty for lunch because of their call offs. We need to catch up soon. You know, outside of the hospital, in real clothes." Kelly said with a laugh as she picked up her tray to leave. Lydia laughed and nodded in agreement.

"How about tomorrow?" She asked, standing up with her tray as well. Kelly shook her head and pushed her hair out of her face.

"I have company from out of town. Maybe Wednesday after shift?" Kelly countered, remembering she wasn't working over that night. Lydia nodded and waved as they parted in different directions.

She gave John a wave as she got off the elevator and headed right over to room three, knowing it was time to check the man's vitals and draw blood for the labs the doctor had ordered. She walked right in, not paying any mind to the two officers she knew would still be watching him.

"Hey, Kels." Kelly gritted her teeth at the familiar voice behind her. She turned around to see Tommy Ingle sitting in the chair Wright had been in earlier. She glanced over to see the other officer had changed as well. They must have had shift change while she was at lunch, she told herself. Kelly turned back to the patient and started charting his vitals.

"Tommy. It's been a while." Kelly said, not wanting to seem rude in front of the other officer. She started drawing blood from the man in the bed when alarms started going off. "Shit. Code Blue!"

The room started filling with doctors and nurses quickly as the man started seizing violently. She followed the doctor's orders and pushed drugs through the patient's iv. It was a long and chaotic twenty minutes before the doctor finally called the time of death. Kelly sighed and her shoulders drop. Criminal or not, this man was someone's son and possibly a parent and husband.

She was writing her report about what happened at the nurse's station when Tommy walked up to the desk. Instead of stopping what she was doing, she just kept writing. It wasn't until he'd cleared his throat for the third time that she looked up to address him. He saw the annoyed expression on her face and smirked.

"Damn Kels. You're as good at killing patients as you are relationships. Little quicker on the draw with the turd in there though." Tommy said. Kelly rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the report she was writing. "Aw, come on Kels. He was a criminal. Oh, wait, I forgot. That's what gets you off, right? The low life criminals like your brother?"

"Fuck you, Tom. You don't have a patient on this floor anymore. You need to leave. Now." Kelly said, seeing red. He smirked and Kelly sprang to her feet. "He was twice the man you'll ever be! Go to hell."

"Was? Kels, wait. What happened?" Tom's expression and tone of voice changed upon hearing her speak about her brother in past tense. She didn't stop walking as she threw the stairwell door open. Tom Ingle followed her onto the stairs until she stopped suddenly, nearly making him run in to her.

"Don't act like you care about my family now, Tom. Don't you dare!" Kelly said, pointing her finger at him. He caught her finger and applied pressure, bending it backwards. "Let go! You can't hurt me like this!"

"Remember who you're talking to, Kelly. Don't think I won't bring some boys down to your friends' clubhouse if you say anything." Tom said, releasing her hand. "I'm sorry about your brother."

Kelly waited until he exited the stairwell to sit down on the steps and cry. She hated him for how he'd treated her both past and present but she knew there was no way to get back at him. He had told her long ago that if she ever reported it or told Herman or the club about it, he'd bring charges against all of SAMTAC and tell them she'd ratted. She had never given him any information, accidentally or otherwise but he knew that once you were labeled a rat, it was almost impossible to be trusted.

 **Thank you again for all the favs and follows. To those of you who reviewed, double thank you! It is really motivational to read reviews, so if you like it, please review! I may post another chapter on Wednesday or Friday, but I'm not sure yet. Reviews would probably be pretty motivational!**


	4. Chapter 4

There was no motorcycle parked in the driveway when Kelly got home, which after the day she had, didn't even surprise her. She dropped her keys on the table and tossed the Chinese she'd picked up on the counter, not even hungry. The run in with Tom at the hospital threw her into a foul mood and she couldn't shake it. She went in to her bathroom and started a bath before returning to the kitchen and grabbing a bottle of wine to accompany her.

Happy let himself in after realizing Kelly wasn't going to answer her phone. He picked the lock quickly, hoping she didn't have nosy neighbors to watch him do it for the second day in a row. There was music coming from the direction of her bedroom, which explained why she didn't hear the door or her phone. He leaned against the bathroom door, just looking at her lying under a layer of bubbles in the bath.

"I'm not that late, girl." Happy growled, wondering why she was drinking wine straight from the bottle like he'd done something to piss her off again. She looked up at him, obviously well on her way to drunk.

"Believe it or not, I do have a life outside of you, Happy." Kelly bit at him. He scowled at her, waiting for her to explain her bitchy attitude towards him. "What?"

"Wondering what your problem is." Happy rasped. He was irritated that he was giving a woman this much effort. He could go to the clubhouse and not even have to say a word to the sweet butts. Kelly wasn't a sweet butt though and he knew that. It was the only reason he was bothering with the feelings shit.

"How long are you going do this caring act?" Kelly snapped at him before bringing the almost empty bottle to her lips. Happy shook his head and crossed the room quickly, grabbing the bottle. Kelly hissed when his hand touched her finger. He narrowed his eyes quizzically and Kelly dunked her hand in the water quickly, hoping to hide it from him.

"What the fuck?" Happy asked, dragging her hand out of the water by her wrist. Her first knuckle was swollen and discolored. He set the bottle of wine on the ground and took a knee next to the tub. "What happened?"

Kelly shook her head, biting on her bottom lip. Happy knew it had to have happened between when she left this morning and when he'd gotten there. He also knew that if it had been an accident at work or something like that, she wouldn't look like she was about to cry and would have just told him. Her silence told him someone did this to her.

"Who did it, angel? Who fucking touched you?" Happy asked, feeling the rage building up in his chest. She shook her head and it only made him angrier. He searched her eyes and was confused by the fear he found there. He shrugged his leather off, tossing it on the counter before reaching into the water and pulling her out. As soon as his arms were around her, she started crying.

 ** _Tacoma November, 2008_**

Happy walked into the Tacoma clubhouse after spending nearly a month on the road with Charming. He was glad to be home, even if it meant having less to do. There was a party in full swing and drinks were shoved at him left and right. A blonde sweet butt he didn't recognize caught his eye and he motioned her over.

He found himself having a thing for blondes ever since Kelly. Prior to getting with her, he'd gravitated to brunettes and the occasional redhead. The blonde that was on her knees in front of him wasn't nearly as attractive or satisfying as Kelly, but he knew he'd burnt that bridge. Once the blonde had swallowed his seed, he zipped his jeans and headed out of the room without a word.

"Kozik, you good brother?" Happy asked, noticing Kozik had a fresh glass of whiskey in front of him. He rarely drank and when he did, it usually wasn't stronger than beer. The blonde man looked over at Happy and it was obvious that something was on his mind. "You been to a meeting recently?"

"It ain't that, man. I figured getting drunk and passing out would keep me from going to kill Kelly's old man tonight." Kozik said, mentioning Kelly to Happy for the first time since the rally, a month before her wedding. Happy found himself needing something stiffer than beer to. Broken up or not, he still didn't want anything bad to happen to her. She was still his brother's little sister.

"What'd the asshole do?" Happy asked, waving a sweetbutt over to fetch him a drink. Kozik shook his head and took a drink.

"She won't fucking tell me. Anytime I ask her about it, she clams up and looks scared." He said, tossing the half full glass against the wall, sending glass and whiskey spraying everywhere. Happy raised his brow and looked back at Kozik.

"Don't sound like Kelly, brother. She doesn't get scared easily." Happy said, feeling old desires to keep her safe starting back up. He shook his head and stood up. "Let me know if you need anything, Koz."

"Yeah, just keep the lawyer on speed dial for when I kill the son of a bitch if he hurt my little sister." Kozik said, spitting onto the floor. Happy nodded and headed back to his dorm for the night, no longer feeling the party.

 **Present Day**

"Just give me a few minutes, Happy. I'm okay." Kelly said, grabbing a towel and feeling very sober now that she was out of the water. He nodded, glancing down at his wet clothes. "The dryer is in the garage."

Kelly closed her bedroom door after Happy exited, taking his shirt off as he walked down the hall. She quickly dried herself off and stepped into some tights and an oversized t-shirt. The vulnerability she was feeling and showing now that Happy had showed back up was infuriating. Never had she let herself depend on anyone like that, not even Herman. With renewed determination, she pulled her hair up into a high ponytail and headed out to find Happy, ready for that discussion he'd agreed to have.

She walked into the kitchen to see Happy sitting at the counter, shirtless. She didn't let his v-cuts and ink draw her in this time. Kelly needed the air cleared and a set plan from that point forward.

"What were you expecting when you came here to see me, Happy? After the fucking." Kelly clarified, knowing his first answer would be just that if she didn't take it off the table. He stretched his arms out and put his palms together, like he was about to dive into a pool if his arms weren't in fact lying on her counter.

"What makes you think it was more than that?" Happy countered, not keen on having a conversation about feelings and shit.

"Really? You don't ride ten hours to fuck somebody when you can get free, effortless pussy in Charming. Don't bullshit me, Happy. I've had a long ass day." Kelly said, shaking her head. She watched as his lips parted into a smile as he nodded.

"That's the Kelly I used to know. Still not afraid to talk to me like that, huh?" Happy couldn't deny that it turned him on when she did. Any other woman would have gotten kicked out of his room or told to fuck off.

"Why would I be afraid?" Kelly asked, pursing her lips and reminding him that he didn't scare her. She knew what he was and what he did for the club, but she also knew that he was brought up to respect women. He'd never hurt her unless he absolutely had to.

"Don't know, angel, what scared you at the hospital today?" Happy asked, hoping to catch her off guard. She narrowed her eyes and he watched her right hand move to cover the left, her thumb rubbing her ring finger. He prided himself on knowing how to read people and he'd bet his life she'd done that because it was her dumbass ex that scared her. He wasn't going to push her on it though. He had his answer and didn't see any need on alerting her to that. "What do you want, girl? Want me to have some poetic answer about wanting to be with you?"

"No, I just want you to tell me the truth." Kelly said, glad he'd left his first question alone. She didn't want to argue about her refusal to answer his question. If it hadn't been to protect him and the club, she would never keep it from him. "We've gone through this before, Happy. What's different now? You're still an asshole and I'm still not a pushover."

"I never wanted you to be a pushover, Kelly. If I wanted that shit, I wouldn't come within a hundred feet of you. I don't do this, girl. This sharing feeling shit is for bitches. You know what I want." Happy said, shaking his head, done with the conversation. Kelly sighed and looked into his dark eyes.

"I don't know if I can give that to you." Kelly said honestly. "My life is here, in Tacoma. You're not transferring out of Charming anytime soon. What's the plan there?"

"Plan is, you heat up the food before I starve, woman. We don't need to figure everything out today." Happy said, standing up and walking into the garage. Kelly knew he was done talking about whatever mess they'd started but she still had questions.

"I hate working in the ICU now. It's been weeks since I've had somebody die." Kelly said as she sat down across from a fully clothed Happy at her small kitchen table. He brought his eyes up to hers, wondering if she was finally going to tell him what happened. "This guy took three to the chest, nearly died in surgery but pulled through just long enough so that he was on my watch when he died."

"What guy?" Happy asked, looking right at her. She raised her brow, wondering why he seemed so interested now. She lifted her shoulder.

"His chart said John Doe. I'm sure the cops knew who he was but they didn't let us know. Why?" Kelly asked, seeing him stab his noodles a bit aggressively.

"He wake up or say anything to the cops?" Happy made eye contact with Kelly and she suddenly realized what this was about. She dropped her fork and leaned back in her chair.

"This was you? Happy, what happened to clean kills? You shouldn't even be in Washington if they're looking for you." Kelly said, worrying that he was risking his neck to see her.

"They ain't looking for me, girl. If I shot the asshole he'd have one in the head and never made it to the hospital. Wasn't even here yet when that shit went down." Happy watched as Kelly relaxed a little. "So, cops were sitting on him all day?"

"Yeah, not that he was going anywhere." Kelly said, shaking her head. Her answer confirmed Happy's suspicions that whatever pissed her off and happened to her hand had to do with her ex.

"You up for a ride tomorrow, Kelly?" Happy asked, not leaving the previous conversation open long enough for her to realize what she'd told him. She nodded and went back to picking at her food, a comfortable silence falling into the space between them.

Happy stepped out of the kitchen to take a phone call and Kelly knew he would have to leave. She started cleaning up the dishes and remembered a time when it was her job to worry about him coming home in one piece. She would lose sleep, knowing more than she really cared to about the dangers he was facing on any particular run. What really scared her was when she got used to that, the worry.

"Do I need to leave a door unlocked?" Kelly asked, hearing him walk up behind her. He didn't say anything for a moment, so she turned around to look at him. He pressed his lips to hers before pulling back and shaking his head. She nodded, refusing to let him see how much it bothered her.

"I'm not leaving, girl. That was just some news I've been waiting on." Happy said, knowing that things were about to change in Charming. Kelly looked surprised and the smile that crossed her face let him know she didn't want him leaving just yet.

"Good news or bad news?" Kelly asked, her interest peaked. Happy shook his head with an unreadable expression.

"Don't know yet. It's club shit. That matter to you now?" He asked, searching her light blue eyes. She frowned and he nodded his head. "Then don't worry about it."

"Think you could stand to watch a movie with me?" Kelly asked, slipping by him to walk into the living room. She knew he didn't usually like wasting his time on movies or shows that weren't cartoons, but she wanted to unwind and see if they could spend time together doing something other than fucking, fighting or riding.

"No girly shit." Happy growled, sitting on the end of the couch and propping his boots up on the ottoman. Kelly looked at his boots and then back up at him. He rolled his eyes and took his boots off, then put his socked feet bak on the ottoman. Kelly tried to hide her smirk and handed him the remote control.

"You pick. No slasher movies." She said, taking her own shoes off and sitting on the couch next to him. He wrapped his left arm around her and she pulled her legs up under her, leaning against him comfortably. He started flipping through channels and Kelly struggled to keep her eyes open. When he eventually stopped on Fast and Furious, he realized that her breathing had slowed and evened out.

He didn't really have any interest in watching a movie by himself, so he turned the television off and slid down in the seat a little, getting comfortable. He glanced down and saw the top of her tattoo underneath her shirt. If she'd let him, he'd tattoo his name all over her, he thought, kissing the top of her head. He decided to focus on getting her to let him back into her life first.

Kelly woke up with a start. She had been dreaming about Tom coming after the club. It took a moment, but she finally realized she was safe on her couch with Happy's hand on her side. She had her head in his lap, so she rolled over on her back to look up at him.

"You talk in your sleep, angel." Happy growled, looking down at her. She bit her bottom lip and hoped she hadn't said too much. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. You got that? Don't matter if we keep this up or you hate me. I promised Kozik I'd look after you."

"Is that what was in your letter?" Kelly asked, hoping he'd move on from the topic of her dreams. He shook his head.

"No, I promised him that before I put ink on you." Happy said. The letter Kozik had written him was still sealed in the envelope that stayed in his inner pocket of his leather. He didn't feel the need to read it. He knew him well enough to know what he would say when he was being morbid as shit and writing "just in case" letters.

Kelly nodded and climbed to her feet, extending a hand to Happy. He took it and followed her to the bed they'd shared last night. He pulled his shirt off over his head and stepped out of his jeans as she got under the covers and watched him closely. She was still torn on whether or not this was a mistake and if it would ever develop into anything, but she was at least enjoying it in the moment.

"Go to sleep, girl." Happy whispered against the side of her neck as she pressed her back to his chest. She smiled and nodded before drifting off to sleep. Happy was right behind her.

"Get up, girl." Happy tossed Kelly's leather jacket onto her sleeping figure as he fastened his belt. She groaned and reached out blindly for her phone.

"It's six in the morning, Happy. What are you doing?" Kelly groaned, looking up to see him walking inside her closet. He emerged with a pair of jeans and her black combat boots. "Happy?"

"We're going on a ride, girl. Get your ass up and get moving." Happy said, sitting down to pull on his boots. Kelly muttered under her breath about sleeping in on her only day off as she pulled on her jeans and staggered into the bathroom to brush her teeth. She didn't know what Happy was up to, but she wished it could wait until at least eight or nine.

"I'm ready, are you happy?" Kelly asked, motioning towards her jacket, t-shirt, boots and jeans. She looked like a biker. He nodded and headed down the hall. Kelly followed with a yawn. "Seriously, it's still dark. Why are you in such a hurry to get on the road?"

"You'll see." He said, handing her his helmet and starting the bike up. She tightened the strap under her chin and sat down behind Happy, resting her cheek against his leather covered back. The morning air was cool against her exposed skin and she was glad he'd thought to grab her a jacket that could block a little wind.

Happy headed out of town quickly, racing a clock that Kelly didn't understand. He didn't slow down until they were out in the middle of no where. When he pulled off on the shoulder, Kelly looked up, wondering what was going on. Without a word, he shut the motorcycle off and patted her leg, signaling her to get off. She pulled the helmet off and looked out across the field they had stopped near.

"Sunrise bike rides, Hap?" Kelly's voice was soft as Happy walked up behind her. They'd shared many sunset rides before, but only two sunrise rides. The first was the morning after they first shared a bed together and the second was the day after he'd gotten out of jail. He pulled her back towards him and she turned around to face him.

"It's been a while." Happy said simply. Kelly nodded and turned her head to look at the horizon. She was usually awake and driving to work when the sun was coming up, but she never took the time to appreciate it. They watched in silence as the sky changed from black to purple to pink to orange to blue. Kelly knew her heart was with Happy, it had been for some time.

"What happens when you go back to Charming, Happy?" Kelly hated running the risk of ruining the moment, but she had to know. He brought his mouth down to her forehead and rested it there while he thought about her question.

"That depends on you, angel. You tell me you're in this and that's it. I'll go back to Charming and my old lady will be here in Tacoma. It's not safe for you to be there right now. I'm hoping that's about to change." Happy said eventually. He pulled back just enough to look down into her eyes and watched her nod.

"Does that have anything to do with the call you got?" He nodded and Kelly bit her lip. She wasn't even sure about going to Charming, so she wasn't going to push the issue. "What about sweet butts and what are they called in Charming? Crow eaters?"

"What about them, Kelly? I'm not doing anything to lose you again." Happy said, bringing her chin up gently. He watched her shoulders drop and raised his brow.

"Things have to be different this time, Happy. I don't want to be with you just to fight and fuck all the time. I need a partner, not an opponent." Kelly said, looking up into his dark brown eyes. He kissed her gently on the mouth and she deepened his kiss before pulling back slowly.

"I hear you, angel." Happy said with a nod. She took a deep breath and nodded slowly. She hoped she wouldn't regret her decision in the end. She was trying to do what Herman said, be happy. She knew that the happiest she ever was, was when she was with Happy. This time was going to be different, she thought, they were going to be equals. "Let's go. I'm starving and you didn't have coffee in your kitchen."

"It's in the refrigerator." Kelly said with a laugh. Happy looked back at her with a quizzical look, but she just shrugged with a grin. He shook his head and helped his old lady back on the bike. There was a chance he was going to piss her off before the end of the day, but he had something to take care of before he left for who knows how long.

"Where to now?" Kelly asked as they walked out of the restaurant. Happy grabbed her belt and pulled her close. "Works for me."

After spending the better part of the day having sex with Happy on every surface of her house, Kelly was in real need of dinner. She agreed to ride down to the burger joint near the hospital, knowing she wouldn't be riding again for a while.

"I'm going to check my tires." Happy said, leaving Kelly to finish getting redressed. He made the call as soon as he was outside the front door. "You got the address?"

"Yeah brother, he's not working tonight so he should be there." Blue, Tacoma's intelligence officer said. Happy nodded and tapped his front tire with his foot, knowing it was fine. "You want some back up on this?"

"No, I'm good." Happy said, looking up to see Kelly walking out of the door and turning to lock the dead bolt.

"Alright. Lee said we're keeping extra eyes on your girl while your gone, brother. You don't gotta worry about blow back." Blue told the killer. Happy nodded and gave him a quick thanks before ending the call. He helped Kelly climb on behind him and started the bike, hoping that by protecting her, he wasn't going to be ruining what they'd just agreed to try.

Kelly noticed Happy's demeanor changing throughout their meal. At first he was just the same as he'd been all weekend, but then he started getting quieter and kept his head on a swivel, watching everyone that passed near them or entered the building. She knew he was protective, he had been since day one but this was something else. This was how he got before something went down.

"I know something is up. Are you going to tell me what it is?" Kelly asked with a careful, even tone. She didn't want to seem like she was accusing him. He looked up from his fries and nodded slowly.

"Tell me about your hand and I'll tell you what's going on." Happy offered, giving her one last chance to open up to him. She bit her lip, torn between protecting the club and being honest with Happy. It was one thing that she didn't want to change from their previous time together. They had always been honest with one another, up until the last day. She swallowed her fear back and nodded slowly.

"It was my ex." Kelly said, not looking up to see the anger written all over Happy's face. He'd all but known the truth but for some reason, hearing her confirm it made him that much angrier. "He was on duty when I got back from lunch, right before that guy died. We got into it about something stupid and I pointed my finger at him."

"That why you two split?" Happy rasped. His fists were clenched tightly and he wanted to choke the life out of the sorry excuse for a man. He didn't consider himself a saint but this was Kelly, the last person he'd ever hurt or allow anyone else to. "Why didn't you say something before? I know Kozik didn't know."

"Yeah, it's one of the reasons we split." She paused and took a deep breath. "He told me that if I went to Herman or the club that he'd go after SAMTAC. I never told him anything about the club but he said he'd tell them I flipped"

"That you were a rat. Damnit, Kelly. You didn't think we'd take your word over his? You're not just an old lady, girl. You're fucking family to SAMTAC. They know you'd never flip, no matter what." Happy paused, seeing the look on her face. "What?"

"What are you going to do? You already knew or at least assumed. If you didn't then you would already been on your way to do something stupid." Kelly was putting the pieces together, reminding Happy why he'd always been open with her about what he did. She would have figured it out herself anyways.

"We're going to see the son of a bitch." Happy said, counting out a few bills to leave on the table. Kelly gaped at him and shook her head. "No one blackmails you and they sure as fuck don't touch you."

"So what, Happy? You're going to show your ass and then go to Charming? I have to live here, in his city." Kelly stepped back when Happy spun around on his heel. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"This isn't his city, Kelly. There's a whole charter that has your back and that means their friends do to. I'm giving him the only warning he's getting and then I'm going back to Charming. I ain't leaving you unprotected, girl. SAMTAC will keep an eye on you when I can't." Happy said, the edge of his anger dulling a little once he laid it all out on the table.

"Don't do anything to catch charges, Happy." Kelly said, resigning to the fact that she had no chance of changing his mind or talking him down. He was an enforcer for an MC, of course he wouldn't stand for someone treating her like that. Kelly just hoped that when the time came, he could show some restraint. It wasn't exactly his strong suit when she was involved.

They rode over to the address Blue had given Happy and Kelly felt her stomach sink. This was his house. The house they had shared for the few months they were married. She hadn't been back there since the day Herman had prospects come and get her loaded on a truck. Happy could tell she was nervous by the way she tensed on his back. He brought his left hand back and squeezed her leg before slowing to a stop.

"Hey, you trust me, angel?" Happy growled, bringing her chin up. She blinked twice before nodding.

"Of course I do." She said. He nodded and kissed her possessively before straightening his cut and walking up to the front door. Kelly was by his side, trying to hide her nerves. He balled up a fist and banged it against the wooden door. Happy heard a bullet being racked into the chamber of a gun before the door slowly opened.

"What are you doing here?" Tom asked, looking right at Kelly and ignoring Happy. Kelly swallowed hard and she knew this wasn't the time to let him intimidate her.

"You know who I am?" Happy growled, making his presence known. Tom brought his eyes up to Happy's, nodding as if he was bored. "Good. You touch Kelly again and we're going to get to know each other even better."

"Are you threatening me?" Tom asked, hoping to get something else to charge the man with. Happy smiled maliciously and pointed up at the security camera above him.

"Of course not. Just letting you know that the next time you hurt or blackmail my old lady, we're going to have another visit. You can go ahead and apologize now." Happy said, motioning towards Kelly. Tom and Happy glared at one another for a moment before the younger man finally shifted his gaze to Kelly.

"I'm sorry." He said, hatred dripping from his words. Kelly nodded and felt some of her old fire sparking up.

"Go fuck yourself." She spat, giving Happy something to smile about. Happy nodded and turned his back on the officer, showing no fear or hint of being intimidated. Kelly was trembling under his hand that was on her lower back.

"You did good, girl. Nothing's gonna happen to you. You hear me?" Happy asked as she repositioned herself behind him on the bike. She knew that no matter what, the ball was rolling and all she could do was hope it didn't run over both them and the club.

"Yeah, Hap. I hear you. Let's just get out of here. I need more of you if you're leaving in the morning." Kelly said, wrapping her arms around his waist. He wasn't going to deny her what he wanted himself, so he started the bike and practically flew out of Tom Ingle's neighborhood. The officer slammed the door shut, already planning on how to make good on the promise he'd made his ex-wife if she ever ran to the club.

 **I wanted to make sure that Happy was as calculating and careful as he seemed to be in the show, hence why he didn't just kill the man where he stood. Thank you to everyone for your reviews. I really appreciate it and hope to read some more for this chapter. Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in the US.**


	5. Chapter 5

****CORRECTION TO PREVIOUS CHAPTER. THE FLASHBACK WITH KOZIK AND HAPPY SHOULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN NOVEMBER OF 2007. SORRY FOR THE MISTAKE! KELLY AND TOM WERE MARRIED FROM JUN 07-MAR 08****

Kelly was starting to wonder if she was getting as paranoid as the members of the club. She started taking different routes to and from work and even started leaving at different times, just to avoid a pattern. It wasn't that she saw the same car following her or anything like that, she just had an uneasy feeling. It felt like someone was watching her. Someone other than the prospects and patched members of SAMTAC.

It was going on two months since she'd last seen Happy and she wasn't too proud to admit she missed him. The short time they'd spent together had long since lost its effect on Kelly and she wanted her man. She found herself smiling when she remembered that Happy Lowman, the Tacoma Killer, was yet again, her man.

"Kelly, I've got a call for you on line three. He said it's urgent." Sierra, a medical assistant said quietly. Kelly nodded and finished the check on the patient quickly, thankful the woman was just suffering from minor scrapes and bruises from a car accident. She grabbed the cordless phone from the nurses' station and stepped into an empty patient room.

"This is Kelly." She said, unable to be sure of who was on the other line. She relaxed a little when she heard Happy's voice, even though he didn't sound very happy at all.

"Where's your cell?" Happy growled, leaning against his bike outside of Charming's clubhouse. He'd been trying to call her for the last hour and sent over a dozen text messages, the tone of which had gotten progressively angrier.

"I dropped it in the sink earlier. I have to go get a replacement after work. Is everything okay?" Kelly asked, hoping something hadn't happened. They had just talked that morning and everything was fine.

"About to head up that way, girl. Should be there around midnight." Happy said, nodding to Jax who was getting on his own bike. Chibs and Bobby also mounted their motorcycles and Happy knew he needed to get off the phone. "Get a phone and don't break it again."

"I didn't," Kelly stopped speaking when she heard the motorcycles start up on the other end of the line. "Okay. Be careful, Happy."

"Always am." He said, snapping the phone shut and swapping it out for the sunglasses that were in his pocket. It was going to be a long ride to Tacoma but he was ready to see his girl. Lee and the others had kept him filled in about how she seemed nervous and he wanted to be there for her. Lorca, Tacoma's enforcer and Sgt at Arms assured him that there was nothing going on, but he wanted to see that for himself. He also had a serious need for female attention, having gone the longest without so much as a blow job since his stint in Stockton.

Kelly took the phone back to the nurses' station and sat down behind the desk, working on charts and looking over any orders that needed to be addressed. She was thankful for the relatively slow day they were having in the ER, even if it made the day seem like it was dragging. Meredith took a seat next to Kelly and looked over at the younger woman.

"Can I ask you a personal question, Kelly?" The graying nurse case manager had never really spoken to Kelly about many topics outside of work, so Kelly wasn't sure what was about to come.

"You can. I just can't promise that I will answer it." Kelly hoped her response wasn't taken negatively, but she was being honest. There was a large part of her life that she couldn't talk to just anyone about. Meredith nodded and didn't seem to mind Kelly's straightforwardness.

"Are you involved with a member of the Sons of Anarchy?" Meredith's hazel eyes seemed warm to Kelly's ice blue eyes. Kelly knew her natural instinct was to be on defense when asked about the club, but she really didn't think Meredith had any foul intentions.

"I am. Is that a problem?" Kelly asked, closing the chart she was working on and giving her full attention to Meredith. The older woman waited a moment before answering the question.

"It's just that some administrators have been told that there is an increased presence recently. It can make some patients and staff members feel uncomfortable. Is your boyfriend incarcerated?" Meredith asked quietly. Kelly narrowed her eyes and bit her cheeks to keep from snapping at a superior.

"He isn't. I don't understand what the issue is. They rarely stop in and when they do, it's usually outside the building." Kelly said, folding her arms across her chest. Meredith didn't have to know Kelly well to know she'd pressed the wrong button.

"I didn't mean to upset you, sweetheart. I just wanted to give you a heads up before administration gets involved." Meredith stood, knowing she had worn out her welcome. Kelly tossed her pen and stethoscope on the counter, irritated by the assumptions and stereotypes made against the club. She moved the mouse and turned her attention to the computer, hoping she could find a solution to a problem she hadn't faced since she'd first started at the hospital.

 **October 2007**

Kelly sat down on the back steps of the hospital and lit a cigarette. She normally hated smoking and felt like a hypocrite when she did it, It was the only thing she could do to calm her nerves at work though. It was her first week at Tacoma General and it felt like her ass was being handed to her.

"Hey kiddo. How's it hangin'?" Herman said, sitting down next to her. She smiled and offered him a cigarette. She wasn't expecting him to visit on her lunch break.

"I'm just trying to keep my head above water. I knew it would be hard, starting work after being out of school for so long but damn." She said, shaking her head and blowing smoke out of her nostrils. Her big brother nodded and handed her lighter back, knowing she'd have his balls if he pocketed it.

"You're the smart one, Kelly. Just give it some time." He said, nodding to Blue who was walking over. They were in the middle of some pretty heated negotiations with a smaller motorcycle club that had aspirations that conflicted with SAMTAC's bottom line.

"Hey, Kels. How's married life?" Blue asked as a few other nurses walked out to the smoking area. Kelly noticed the looks they gave her brother and Blue, but didn't comment on it or let it bother her. She was used to it by now.

"It's fine. You keeping this one out of trouble?" Kelly asked with a nod towards the older Kozik. Blue laughed and nodded.

"Doing what I can. He and Hap get into some shit though. Damn. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-" Kelly cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"Blue, it's fine. It's been a year and I've moved on, remember." She held up her left hand as she rose to her feet. "I've got to get back to work. Be good."

"Call me later, little bird." Kozik said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Kelly nodded and gave him a peck back before giving Blue a quick hug. She took a deep breath and walked back into the hospital, hoping the rest of her shift went better than the first half.

After six more hours of rude patients and staff talking down to her, she was ready to go home and have a few drinks before going to bed. She knew Tom had the night shift, so he wouldn't be home until time for her to be getting ready for work the next morning. It was probably why they hadn't had more fights already.

" , may I have a word?" Karen, her supervisor asked as Kelly neared the elevator. She stopped and turned around with a forced smile.

"I was just headed out. Is everything okay?" Kelly was going through her charts in her mind, making sure she'd filled everything out correctly. Karen motioned towards her office and Kelly knew it wasn't going to be good.

"I know this is your first week, so we're going to leave this off the record. I heard that you were seen with some questionable men during your lunch break today." Karen said, lowering herself down into the large chair behind her desk slowly. Kelly gritted her teeth. "Members of the Sons of Anarchy."

"My brother and a friend came to see me during lunch. They're far from questionable. What is this about? What do you mean you'll leave it off the record?" Kelly was growing irritated and defensive.

"Your brother is a member?" Kelly nodded and folded her arms across her chest. "Your husband is an officer with Tacoma PD, isn't he? Tom Ingle?"

"Are we drawing a family tree or is there a point to keeping me after a shit shift?" Kelly's mouth moved before she could stop it. Karen's brow raised and Kelly knew she'd overstepped her boundary.

"Mrs. Ingle, this hospital has a reputation to uphold. We may not be able to control who we treat but we do have a say about whom loiters around the hospital. I hope you understand. I know the board thought you were going to be a good fit." Kelly felt the dagger that was thrown with that veiled threat. She sighed and nodded.

"It's not going to be a problem. Herman shouldn't have a problem with covering his colors if he comes by." Kelly hated bowing to the woman's demands, but she needed a job and quitting so soon wouldn't look great on resumes.

When she got home, she just wanted to get a shower and go to sleep. Instead, she found Tom had gotten the night off so they could spend some time together. Kelly dropped her bag by the door and tried to keep the grimace off her face.

"Everything okay, Kel?" Tom asked, taking a swig of his beer as she walked past him towards the kitchen. Kelly nodded and grabbed a bottle of vodka. She filled a tumbler about halfway full and add two cubes of ice.

"If you count getting reamed by my supervisor today as being okay, then yeah. What are you doing home?" Kelly asked before taking a gulp. He seemed dejected by her question and finished off his beer.

"Well, I was hoping to see you and spend some time together. Your boss mad about your brother's gang hanging around?" Kelly raised her brow at him, wondering how he knew about that and daring him to call the club a gang again. "Yeah, my buddy's wife is a LPN at the hospital. Said you were out smoking with some thugs."

"They aren't thugs. They'd probably be faster to help someone in need than most other people, cops included. Don't give me shit for smoking either. I rarely even do it." Kelly said, hating his condescending tone.

"Your ex there?" Tom asked, bringing the conversation to a screeching halt. He knew Kelly didn't like talking about Happy with anyone but Herman, and even that was on rare occasion. She finished off the vodka and motioned towards him with the glass.

"You don't have to ask that question. Stop looking for a reason to argue. I'm going to take a shower and go to sleep." Kelly said, slamming the dishwasher closed after putting the glass in the top rack. Tom grabbed her wrist as she walked by. She tried to jerk it away and he shoved her against the wall, pinning her there by her throat. "Let me go!"

"Who do you think puts food on the table, Kelly? Who do you think got you that job? If I want to ask a question, I'll ask it and you better answer it. Do you understand me?" Tom growled loudly. Kelly narrowed her eyes and slammed the heels of her hands into his chest, breaking his hold on her just long enough to slip away. In that moment, she remembered Happy teaching her that move before they'd even started dating.

"You touch me like that again and you'll have divorce papers and an ass kicking so fast it'll make your head spin." Kelly yelled, sidestepping him again.

"Oh, you think so? I'm a officer of the law, Kelly. That means I've got the power to bring your brother's gang to their knees. Wouldn't they find it interesting if a member's sister's husband was the one that did it? What would they think of that, Kelly?" Tom was smiling and it made Kelly feel sick. Her shoulders dropped and she felt like the air had been taken out of her lungs. They would make a rational assumption. She'd be labeled a rat and Herman may pay the price.

"I'm tired, Tom. I don't want to fight with you." Kelly said softly. She watched him carefully as she walked by and headed to their bathroom to take a shower and get ready for bed. She was able to hold back the tears until she was standing under the scalding hot water.

 **Present Day**

Happy walked into Kelly's house and slid his key in his back pocket, glad to see she'd locked the door like he'd always asked her to. He had at least one prospect watching the house every night he wasn't there, but he didn't want to take any chances. As quietly as he could, he stepped out of his boots and hung his cut by the door, hoping to avoid waking Kelly up.

"Hey stranger." He heard her voice and turned around to see her standing in a pair of sweatpants and her bra. The sweetbutts that had been begging for his attention were always in damn near nothing. He knew they'd never let him see them like this. This is who he'd been missing and wanting though. He preferred her like this, comfortable and not trying to hard.

"Hey angel. You miss me?" Happy barely had the words out when Kelly crossed the room and kissed him square on the lips. He tangled his fingers into her hair and deepened the kiss. She tasted the same as when he left and he'd missed the hell out of that.

"I may have missed you. A little." Kelly said, sliding back into the bed after cleaning up following their second round of welcome back sex. Happy grunted and let her tuck herself under his arm. She enjoyed the way his chest radiated heat that made her feel warm and safe. "So, what would you think about me moving to Charming?"

"That's the plan, eventually." Happy said, staring up at the ceiling. He was trying to keep his mind off of all the shit that was going on with the club and just relax with Kelly while he could. "Is this about you evading somebody? Heard you've been taking different routes to and from work. Damn near lost a prospect when you doubled back once."

"I haven't really seen anyone or anything. I've just got a feeling that someone is watching me. Someone besides the club." She clarified. Happy nodded and made a note to do some checking around when she went to work in the morning. "Saint Thomas has an opening in their emergency room. I thought about going ahead and applying."

"No. Can't have you down there right now." Happy said, knowing that would make her mad. As different as she was from the croweaters and sweet butts, she was still a woman and to Happy, that meant that she took things the wrong way.

"Why? Not ready to really have an old lady again?" She hissed, turning on her side to face him. She saw his brow furrow before he looked over at her.

"I really have an old lady now, Kelly. You being here or there don't change that shit. Too much is going on in Charming. I'm not letting you come down there until I know you're going to be safe." Happy said, wondering why they were even fighting about this. He just wanted to make sure she didn't end up with a broken hand like Tara or worse.

"You aren't letting me? Hap, it may have been a while since we were together but I still don't need your permission." Kelly said, propping herself up on an elbow. Happy rubbed his palms over his face and shook his head.

"You aren't coming to Charming until it's safe. It ain't a discussion. You wanna spend the couple days I have up here fighting about this?" He growled, done with the arguing. Kelly didn't look pleased, but she lowered herself back down and put her head on his chest.

"Goodnight, Hap." Kelly whispered as his breathing slowed. He responded by holding her tighter against him. She smiled a little and closed her eyes.

The next morning, she woke up to an empty bed and frowned. She knew he was in Tacoma for the club, but she was wanting more time with him. It wasn't until she heard movement in the kitchen that she realized he hadn't left her house yet.

"You want to ride to work?" Happy asked, handing her a cup of coffee. She was dressed in light blue scrubs with her hair braided over one shoulder. He was never a big fan of make-up and appreciated that she didn't over do it. Kelly took a sip of the hot coffee and turned his offer over in her mind. She did want to ride with him, but she also knew that there was already chatter about she and the club.

"Yeah. Will you be able to pick me up at nine?" At least riding with Happy would put Meredith's mind to ease about her man being locked up. She also refused to let anyone cut into their time together, even if it was just the fifteen to twenty minute ride to the hospital.

"Should be. You ready to head out?" Happy asked, glancing over at the clock on the stove. Kelly stuck out her bottom lip and he raised his brow. She sauntered over to him and undid his belt buckle with a wicked grin. He cracked his neck as she took him into her mouth.

"Think you can get me there on time?" Kelly asked as he zipped his jeans. She knew how much he like morning head and that gave her enough reason to deal with the jaw work out it was to fit him into her mouth. He gently grabbed her chin and kissed her lips, tasting her handiwork on her tongue.

"Yeah, get moving, girl." He said, wishing there was enough time to fuck her right there on the counter. She saw the desire in his eyes and turned away before she was really late for work. She considered herself a rebel but even a rebel has bills to pay. Kelly took the helmet Happy offered her and climbed on behind him.

Happy weaved in and out of the city's streets and slid between cars stuck in the morning traffic. It was something Kelly was never really comfortable with but she also knew Happy wouldn't let anything happen to her. She noticed that he was continuously checking his mirrors and looking at the cars around them. She knew him well enough to know that he was trying to make sure her gut feeling about being watched wasn't anything more than paranoia.

When they pulled up in front of the hospital, Kelly pulled the helmet off and climbed off, wishing she could have played hooky from work instead. Happy took the helmet from her before grabbing the front of her shirt and pulling her to him possessively. She felt her cheeks warming as he kissed her deeply, much deeper than he would have around the club. It wasn't that either of them were against PDA, but they normally kept it to a minimum so he could keep his hard core reputation with the newer patched members and prospects.

"Call me if you need me, girl. I've got some stuff to take care of but anyone bothers you, I'm your first call. Got it?" He growled, wanting to make sure she remembered who she belonged to. He liked her independent nature but that didn't keep him from wanting to protect her or being possessive.

"I hear you, babe. Be careful." Kelly said, giving him a smile as she stepped back. He nodded and secured his helmet while watching her walk into the hospital. The ride over from her house didn't give him any reason to think anyone was following her, but he wasn't convinced just yet. He was going to keep his eyes out for anything out of the ordinary until he knew she was safe.

Kelly walked into the hospital and felt like everyone was staring at her. She kept her head up and walked into the locker room, refusing to let the attention get to her. Being with Happy or having any connection to the club didn't effect her job performance, so she wasn't going to hide it. She wasn't ashamed of her brother being in the Sons of Anarchy and she wasn't ashamed of her own affiliation with the club through him or Happy.

"Kozik, can I speak with you?" Linda Wallace asked as Kelly emerged into the hallway. She was one of the administrators that no one ever talked to unless they were in trouble for something. Kelly set her jaw and planted her hands on her hips. "Tacoma General has a strict policy when it comes to criminal backgrounds. Are you aware of that?"

"I passed the same background check everyone else did and could do the same right now." Kelly said without any hint of emotion in her voice. Linda pursed her lips and looked the younger woman over from head to toe. "If you don't mind, I have patients that need me. Unless of course you think that my personal life is more important than patient care."

"I'll send down the forms for an updated background and personal references. We need at least three upstanding citizens that are willing to vouch for you. They can't be coworkers or family. It's just the new policy. I'm sure you understand." Linda said, motioning towards the emergency room. Kelly resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she gave her a curt nod.

"Oh, I understand perfectly." She growled. She muttered all kinds of colorful and creative names for the woman under her breath as she walked down the hall to finally start her morning. The promise of seeing Happy after she got off was the only thing that kept her from writing the day off already.

 **Thank you for all the reviews so far! I'm hoping to get back to updating weekly. Real life has been rudely getting in the way. PLEASE review.**


	6. Chapter 6

Kelly pulled her jacket closer as the rain started picking up. She had waited on him for almost an hour before she started walking. It had been a long day in the emergency room and having to fill out forms for an additional background check only made things worse. She didn't appreciate being stood up when Happy had assured her that he'd be there to pick her up when they'd spoken at lunch.

At first, her plan was to just walk to the bus and head home. The bus terminal and the clubhouse were in the same direction, so she went ahead and passed up the terminal for the clubhouse. She was fine with the plan at first, her anger with Happy motivating her. That was before the drizzling rain turned into a down pour.

"Kelly? What are you doing here?" Blue asked, looking up from his hand of cards to see a soaking wet and pissed off Kelly Kozik. She shrugged her jacket off and hung it on a peg by the door before walking behind the bar and grabbing a glass. Blue watched her fill it half way with top shelf whiskey before she finally approached him.

"Well, I should be dry at home with my old man. It seems like he had better things to do than pick me up though." She hissed before taking a drink. The whiskey burned her throat but it helped warm her up a little. Blue looked down at his watch and set his cards down, face up to show that he was done with the game.

"He left to pick you up about a quarter to nine. Jax, Chibs and Bobby are in chapel with Lorca and Lee. When did you last hear from Hap?" Blue said, walking towards the doors that led to the chapel. Kelly's head was spinning, wondering why she didn't think something was wrong. Happy was nothing if not punctual.

"When I was on lunch at four. What do you think happened?" Kelly asked, pulling out her phone to try and call him. Blue shook his head before turning away and knocking on the door. It seemed to take forever for the phone to start ringing in Kelly's ear. She counted the rings, relieved when it was finally answered on the fourth ring.

"Happy? Are you okay?" Kelly asked, biting her lip anxiously. She heard a familiar laugh, but it wasn't Happy's and there was nothing to laugh about. Kelly snapped to get Blue's attention, knowing that the rude behavior normally wouldn't be accepted. "What are you doing with Happy's phone, Tom?"

"It's property. No cell phones in holding, Kels." Tom said, smirking at Happy who looked livid. Tom found comfort in the iron bars holding the man back.

"This is ridiculous. Why is he in holding? He's supposed to have a phone call within an hour of arrest, Tom." Kelly said, grabbing her jacket and pulling it back on. Jax zipped his hooded sweater up over his leather and waited to get some information to go off of.

"Hasn't been an hour yet, sweetheart. Guess I'll see you soon." With that, the line went dead and Kelly gripped her phone, trying to resist the urge to throw it against the wall. Jax put his hand on Kelly's arm and looked into her blue eyes.

"Let's go get Killa. Ride with the prospect in the van." Jax said, motioning towards the prospect with wiry hair. Kelly took a deep breath and nodded. She had a feeling that Tom didn't have anything to hold Happy for. It all seemed like a screwed up way to get her in front of him.

Kelly buckled into the passenger seat, feeling guilty for thinking that Happy would stand her up without a good reason. She stared out of the window and pursed her lips, wondering how she could stay in Tacoma after this. First it was work harassing her and then Tom arresting Happy, she was done with Tacoma.

Chibs opened the van door for Kelly and followed she and Jax into the police station. Lee and Lorca brought up the rear while Bobby, Blue and the prospect hung out underneath the awning. Jax knew that Kelly had a temper, having witnessed some of her and Happy's fights first person. He hoped they could somehow get Happy and leave without anyone else catching any charges.

"Well, that was fast." Tom said, smiling as he walked forward to see Kelly. Jax put his hand in front of Kelly, blocking her ex's advance.

"What are you charging him with?" Kelly asked, crossing her arms over her chest. She welcomed Jax's barrier and stayed slightly behind him. It was doubtful that Tom would try anything in the crowded room, but she didn't trust herself not to lash out and attack him.

"Well, he was speeding and he's affiliated with a known criminal organization. My captain thought it would be a good idea to go ahead and bring him in for questioning. He'll get a citation but we aren't charging him with anything, yet." Tom said with a shrug and a cocky smile. Kelly rolled her eyes and Lee scoffed.

"We're a motorcycle club, not a criminal organization, Ingle. Just admit that you've got it out for anyone connected to Kelly. Here I thought the new Sheriff was above indulging the minions' personal agendas." Lee said with a chuckle. Tom narrowed his eyes and took a step forward. It was matched by Lorca who towered above Tom and didn't back down, despite the badge.

"Seriously? Just stop and let Happy go. You wanted me here? I'm here." Kelly said, fed up with the testosterone. "I'm pretty sure the club's lawyer would be thrilled to have some harassment charges to dole out against dirty cops."

"What did you call me? A dirty cop?" He side stepped Lorca and came almost nose to nose with Kelly. She puffed out her chest a little and pursed her lips, refusing to show any fear. Jax didn't care for the cop's proximity to his brother's old lady and knew he'd already have several broken bones by now if Happy wasn't locked up.

"I called you a dirty cop, Tom. That badge doesn't give you the right to break the law. You're dirty. You prance around acting innocent. I know better, Tom. I've got proof. Blackmail, assault, stalking, what would your captain think about that? What about the media?" Kelly hissed. Jax glanced over at Lee, wondering if he knew anything about what Kelly was saying. He looked just as surprised.

"Lynn, go let Lowman out of holding." Tom said, stepping back with a malicious nod. He knew that there was nothing more he could do with club members and his coworkers around. She'd won the battle but he wasn't going to let her go unpunished.

Kelly grabbed Happy's phone, keys and holster off of Tom's desk as the club men looked on protectively. Tom kept his distance from her. Moments later, Happy walked right up to Kelly and kissed her deeply, grabbing a handful of her ass. She knew he was claiming his territory but it still got her hot and bothered.

"Bad choice." Happy growled at Tom as he wrapped his arm around Kelly's waist and nodded at his brothers. Kelly put her hand in her man's back pocket and looked up at him, more than ready to get out of the police station. She saw the look in his eye and knew that he wanted nothing more than to kill her ex husband. As much as she couldn't blame him, she couldn't stand the thought of him going away for the murder.

Happy had the prospect drop him off at his bike and then take Kelly home, ordering that he stay there on watch until he got back from the clubhouse. She wasn't happy about him not coming straight to her, but knew there had to be discussions about what happened. He walked into the clubhouse, ready to get back to Kelly.

"So, what's your game plan, Hap? She's your old lady. If you want us to keep an eye on her while you're gone, then that's what we'll do. I can't promise that I'll always be able to spare a man to do that though." Lee said, laying it all out on the table for Happy. Lee respected the man completely and loved him like a son.

"She'll be in Charming by the end of the month. It was always the plan for her to move down, I was just hoping shit would settle before she did." Happy said, sliding the golden bullet back and forth on his necklace chain. He hadn't taken it off since Kelly gave it to him for their first Christmas together.

"We'll take care of her, Hap." Bobby assured him with a nod. Happy appreciated the gesture but couldn't fully trust anyone but himself with Kelly's safety. She meant too much to him. She was too important.

"Alright, Kel moves to Charming and we leave the cop alone, for now. We've got enough heat with the Cartel and the law at home, Hap. Things settle down and we can revisit it." Jax said, nodding and standing up from the table. He understood that Happy wasn't pleased with putting off revenge, but he was logical, it was what made him so dangerous. Tig was just as unhinged but his emotions clouded his judgement, but not Happy.

"Happy, you got a minute?" Jax asked, jogging to catch up with him. Happy wanted nothing more than to get to Kelly, but couldn't exactly turn his President down. "What do you know about Kelly and her ex? She told him she had proof of assault and some other shit."

"It's why she divorced him. Liked to take shit out on her." Happy said, refusing to get any deeper into the story. It only served to piss him off and it wasn't his place to talk about it.

"Sorry, Hap. We just can't take more heat right now." Jax said, surprised the man wasn't already eight feet under. Happy nodded and turned away, ending the conversation before it got him even angrier.

Kelly looked up when she heard the sound of Happy's motorcycle pulling into her garage. She didn't really mind the prospect coming inside her home, she just preferred her man instead. When the door opened, she could tell that he was still in a foul mood.

"There better be a good damn reason you're in my woman's house. You can't watch the place from outside?" Happy growled, grabbing the young man up off the couch by the front of his shirt. Kelly wanted to tell him to knock it off, but she knew it wasn't her place to interfere.

"I'm sorry. I just thought that she'd be safer with me inside." The man choked out. Happy clinched his teeth together and shoved the man backwards toward the door.

"You won't see sun rise if you don't get the hell out, prospect." Happy barked, lifting his shirt to reveal the handle of his Glock. The young man was gone before the shirt fell back into place.

"Feel better now?" Kelly asked, locking the door behind the prospect and turning back to see that he didn't look that much happier.

"What the fuck were you thinking, girl? You walked from the hospital to the fucking clubhouse? Pull that shit again and you aren't leaving the house without me." Happy growled, pulling her over to him with his hand behind her head. She rolled her eyes and he narrowed his.

"Yeah? How are you going to manage that when you're ten hours away? Obviously you don't trust prospects to watch me." Kelly knew he was making empty threats anyways. Despite the traditional title of Old Lady, she didn't blindly take orders from him and he knew it. He never wanted her to.

"You're not staying here long, angel. Soon as I get a couple days, we're packing your shit and getting you down to Charming." Happy growled, watching her eyes light up. She searched his face, looking for some type of teasing. When she finally decided he was serious, she pulled him down to her and kissed him roughly. He gripped the back of her thighs and pulled her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist.

Kelly leaned her head to the side, allowing Happy unlimited access to her neck after he placed her on the counter. She still had her legs wrapped around his waist as he peppered kisses and nips over her sensitive skin. He could feel her heartbeat picking up as he ran his hands under her shirt to pull it over her head.

"Touch me, Happy. Everywhere." Kelly said, intoxicated by the feeling of his skin on hers. He obliged her and ran his hands over every square inch of her body that he could reach. She moaned and pushed his leather down off his shoulders. He laid it on the counter next to Kelly before picking her up and walking to the bedroom.

"Open your eyes, girl." Happy growled, knowing that he was about to explode. She felt like a vice around his shaft and her moaning was pushing him closer and closer to the edge. He watched as she ran her palms over her breasts and slowly opened her eyes to look up at him. He groaned and thrust into her roughly, stilling as he spilled into her. "Fuck, Kelly. You got any clean sheets?"

"Yeah, they're in the dryer." She said with blushed cheeks. She knew that the bed was covered in the evidence of just how pleased he'd made her. He had a way of doing that when no one else had ever been able to. "I'll grab them and make the bed real quick before I take a shower."

"I got it. Just go get cleaned up, angel." Happy said, motioning towards the bathroom. Kelly smiled and nodded slowly before taking him up on his offer. He didn't mind making the bed and he wanted to check all the doors and windows without alarming her. Spending time with her ex only made him trust the man less. Happy knew he needed to get her to Charming soon or worrying about her would distract him.

"I already applied to Saint Thomas." Kelly said as she got into the bed aside Happy. He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head.

"Of course you did. I'll have a couple SAMTAC sweet butts help you pack your shit. May as well put in your two weeks at Tacoma General, girl." Happy wasn't surprised that she was already in the process of moving to Charming, with or without his approval. He didn't have any delusions about not worrying once she was down there with him, but at least then she'd be close enough to protect.

"I can manage by myself, Happy. I don't want them here." She said, shaking her head and looking not at him, but at the television at the foot of the bed. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the help or have anything against any of the current sweetbutts, she just didn't want him asking them for favors, especially on her behalf.

"Stop being stubborn, Kelly. You work too much to pack this place up." Happy growled, rubbing his calloused hand over her smooth skin, appreciating the contrast in texture. He knew where her stubbornness was coming from and he knew it was his own fault. It was something they would no doubt fight about, especially when she got to Charming, but he didn't want to deal with it yet. He just wanted to move past it.

"I have friends. They'll help me pack. Just don't worry about it." Kelly whispered, pressing her lips to his inked skin. He knew to pick his battles with her, so he let it go, planning silently to get a couple prospects set up to help with the furniture at least. He dozed off while he stroked her hair. Kelly's arm was cramping, but she didn't want to move and disturb him.

She closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep, but she couldn't help worrying about Happy. She normally felt better when he was around, but she felt like their relationship was putting him in danger, at least with the law. She knew it would be better once she was out of Tacoma, but even then, she wondered if Tom would leave them alone then. She curled herself up closer to Happy and squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to panic.

Happy woke up from the heat of having Kelly practically lying on him. She had her head buried in his neck and he could tell she was worried when she fell asleep. He was worried to; worried about making the right decision when it came to moving her to Charming and worrying about doing things right this go around. He felt an obligation to Kozik to treat her right, not that he really needed the extra reason to.

"Nothing is going to hurt you, angel. Not while I'm alive." Happy said softly as he stroked her back. She shifted in her sleep and moved away from him just enough for his body to cool back down. He kissed the top of her head before turning his head to make sure his gun was still on the bed side table before going back to sleep.

"Morning." Kelly said softly as Happy walked into the kitchen. The smell of syrup had woken him up to an empty bed. He nodded and kissed her lips, grabbing a waffle off the stack behind her. She laughed and swatted his arm. "Sit down and use a plate! Those silver things are called forks."

"Yeah? Thought they were funny looking knives." Happy smirked and sat down at the table, continuing to eat his waffle without a fork. Kelly watched as he put a drop of syrup in one of the tiny squares and then took a bite. She found it almost impossible not to laugh. She poured him a cup of coffee before grabbing her own plate and sitting down next to him.

"So, I was thinking. Do you think I could stay with you for a couple days while I find a place to rent?" Kelly asked, cutting a piece of waffle and dipping it into syrup. Happy stopped chewing for a moment and stared at her blankly.

"What are you talking about? If you're moving to Charming then you're living with me." Happy said, swallowing his food without even tasting it. It hadn't even occurred to him that she was thinking about living somewhere else in Charming. He saw the hesitation in her eyes and he pushed away from the table suddenly. Kelly sighed and looked at him as he gripped the back of the chair. "Seriously, Kelly?"

"Happy, if we pick back up where we left off then we're going to have the same problems as before. I want this to work." Kelly said, seeing the vein in his temple pulsing.

"You think I don't? We're not going to have the same problems, alright? I fucked up. I'm not losing you again, girl." Happy was all but yelling before he even realized it.

"It was messed up before you cheated, Happy! You were pushing me away and I was finding every reason to fight with you. It would have ended if you hadn't cheated, just not as fast." Kelly had come to that realization long ago. Happy shook his head.

"I pushed you away because it hurt to even look at you." Happy admitted, hating to see the hurt in her eyes but needing her to understand. He let his shoulders relax and sat back down, propping his elbows on the table. Kelly swallowed a few times before she spoke.

"That's when I needed you the most, Happy." Kelly shook her head and stood up quickly from the table. She walked to the glass door that led out to the back yard and stared out over the lawn. She bit her lip to keep it from quivering.

"I know that, Kelly. I fucked up. That was years ago and it doesn't have anything to do with now." Happy said, watching her stare outside. He shook his head, wishing he could have done things right the first time.

"I'm sorry." Kelly said, closing her eyes and dropping her head. Happy moved quickly and pulled her into his arms.

"You've got a bad habit of apologizing for shit that ain't your fault. You didn't do anything wrong, Kelly. You weren't some druggie like Jax's kid's Ma. You did shit right, angel." Happy spoke in a soft, raspy way that calmed Kelly with every word. She tried to never think about the baby that they lost. Sometimes she just couldn't help it.

"I can't help thinking that if I hadn't lost the baby, you and Herman wouldn't have gone to Charming." Kelly said, finally letting go of the guilt she had been holding in since her brother had died. Happy kissed her forehead and then rested his cheek on top of her head.

"You holding on to any other crazy theories like that?" Happy asked after a few minutes of silence. Kelly laughed softly and shook her head.

"No. I think that's about it." She said, feeling much lighter. Happy nodded and kissed her lips, smirking at they way she tasted like maple syrup. "Is there even room for me at your place?"

"We'll make room, girl. Just don't junk up my sink with girly shit." He said, scowling at her. The harder she laughed, the grumpier he looked. "Shut up and let's get to the clubhouse, woman."

 **Sorry, this update took a lot longer than I wanted it to! I hope you enjoy though!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Kelly wiped her brow after pulling the moving truck's door down. Over the past couple of weeks, she'd been packing any time she wasn't working. It never really occurred to her that she had far more crap than she ever wanted or needed. Instead of selling it all like Happy suggested, she dispersed most of it between churches and shelters that accepted donations. Even after giving a lot of clothes and home goods away, she still had a moving truck full of things to move to Charming. She and Happy had agreed to replace his bed with hers and store the rest of her furniture.

She sat down on her front steps and took a large drink of water, checking her phone to see if Happy had called or messaged her. They'd spoken early that morning and he'd said he would be there no later than noon and he was cutting it close. She twisted her mouth and tapped her foot, trying not to worry too much. There was no doubt in her mind that Happy could take care of himself. He was an experienced rider and was just as deadly with his hands as he was the two guns he kept on him at all times. Still, she loved him so she worried.

The tightness in her chest loosened when she heard motorcycles in the distance. She stood up and smoothed her shorts before tightening her ponytail. Kelly knew that Happy would be irritated that she'd loaded the whole truck by herself, but she didn't have the patience to wait for help. A smile spread as she watched Happy and two other Sons rolled into her driveway.

"Come here." Happy growled, pulling her into his arms as soon as he was off the bike. He didn't mind the sweat and loved the way she looked in her muscle shirt and spandex shorts. He knew his old lady was a looker and loved that she was his again.

"So, everything's all packed up." Kelly said, giving him a sweet smile. She heard Tig laugh as Happy shook his head.

"Of course it is." Happy grumbled, kissing her one more time before stepping away and nodding towards the truck. "You're riding with me, girl. Lee is sending a prospect to drive the truck and Blue is driving your car.

"Something you want to tell me? Since when does moving to Charming require four patched members and a prospect?" Kelly asked, pursing her lips at him. Happy shook his head, refusing to worry her more. In fact, there was some chatter about a rival cartel looking to hurt the cartel that SAMCRO was working with. Happy was ready to get out of business with the cartel. He'd been around long enough to know that it was hurting the club. It was filling their pockets, but it was going to end up costing them even more than they'd already lost. He refused to let Kelly be one of those losses.

"I've got it under control, angel. We'll head out from SAMTAC at three." Happy said to Tig and Juice. They nodded and rolled back out of the driveway, knowing the killer needed some alone time with his old lady. "Let's get inside, girl. Something I need to take care of."

Kelly raised her brow as he took his saddlebags off the bike and motioned towards the now empty house. She didn't know what he had in mind and that gave her a mixed rush of fear and excitement. Once they got inside, Happy led her into the kitchen and started unpacking his bag. She recognized the tattoo machine case and relaxed a little.

"Branding me some more?" Kelly asked with a smile. Happy nodded and shook the black ink bottle as Kelly watched closely.

"Something like that." Happy said, motioning towards her shirt. She took the clue and pulled it off. She folded it neatly and set it on the counter. "You up for two today?"

"Two?" Kelly asked, wondering why he felt the need to triple her tattoos in one setting. He nodded and handed her two pieces of sketching paper. She studied the first one, a **sketch** of two crows, one light and one dark with a short banner connecting them. Kelly wasn't surprised to see his initials towards the dark with hers near the light. She liked that it wasn't the traditional crow tattoo that the women of SAMCRO wore. Happy watched her reaction as she moved on to the second sketch. "Happy."

The second sketch was something that he knew would mean a lot to her, because it did him as well. She ran her hands over the angel wings with her older brother's name and birthday below. Happy didn't put the day of his death on it. It wasn't the date that Kelly would base her memories off of. She was covering her mouth with her hand as she nodded, tears threatening to fall down her cheeks.

"Let's get going on it then." Happy said, squeezing her hand. She took a deep breath and calmed herself so that he wouldn't have a hard time tattooing her. Kelly laid down on her back as he started with the angel tattoo on her collarbone first. It took her a little while to get reacclimatized to the feeling of the tattoo needles. By the time he moved on to the second tattoo, this one on her stomach near her left hip, she barely felt the piercing. Happy worked quickly without sacrificing quality.

"Thank you." Kelly said, stroking Happy's cheek before kissing his lips softly. He nodded and wiped her tears away with his thumbs.

"You're welcome, baby girl." Happy pulled his bottom lip in and stared into her light blue eyes. "I love you, Kelly."

Kelly could count on one hand how many times he'd said those three words. She didn't need to hear it and she was always a believer that actions spoke louder than words. Still, every time he had said it, it rocked her to her core. The first time he'd said it was almost two years after they got together. The last time he'd said it was the worst day of her life.

March 2006: Tacoma

It was a normal, Spring day in Tacoma. It was a little cool but the sun was coming down and warming Kelly's skin through the car windows. She rubbed her back as she sat at the red light, hoping that she wouldn't keep having pain through her second trimester. The light changed and she repositioned herself in the seat before continuing down the road to the home she and Happy shared. He was on his way back from a run and she had a car full of groceries to make him dinner with.

Once she had the groceries carried in and put away, Kelly realized that her back was hurting even more. To try and relieve it, she went to lie down for a nap, carefully calculating the time she had left to make sure dinner would be ready on time. She walked past the nursery with a smile, pausing to look at the mural in progress. As soon as Happy found out they were going to have a son, he got to work on an intricate mural of a desert roadway and a group of motorcycles in formation, claiming it as their own.

When her alarm went off an hour later, she was feeling much better, only experiencing a normal amount of back pain. Herman teased her that if she hadn't gotten knocked up by someone a foot taller than her, she wouldn't be hurting so much. Kelly didn't care. She couldn't imagine having a child with anyone else.

"Kelly?" She heard Happy's voice coming from the front of the house and smiled, pulling the lasagna out of the oven just in time. She heard him hang his cut on the coat rack before he appeared in the kitchen a few moments later. "You didn't have to cook for me, girl. How you feeling?"

"I'm good. My back was bothering me earlier but it's better now." Kelly smiled and looked down at his large hands that were resting on her small baby bump. She had started showing a few weeks ago and he seemed to love it. "Come on, Hap. Don't let the food get cold."

"Looks good, Kelly." Happy said, sitting down and scooping out a large portion onto his plate. Kelly kissed his cheek and set a beer in front of him before sitting down across from him. She realized that she wasn't nearly as hungry as she thought she was. Happy noticed her pushing her food around on the plate without really eating anything. "Come on, I'll clean this up later."

"I'm sorry." Kelly said, looking down at her hands. Happy pushed his chair back from the table and pulled her along behind him to the bedroom. "I need to do laundry."

"No, you don't. I'm not going back out on any runs until later this month, angel. I'll help you out." Happy said, pulling down the quilt and motioning for her to get in bed. She smiled and padded over to him, pressing a kiss to his cheek before climbing into the bed again. "Get some sleep."

"Okay." Kelly yawned and was almost sleeping by the time that Happy made it to the hallway. He knew she had planned on welcoming him back with dinner and sex, but he cared more about her and the baby's health than his needs. He just wanted them happy and healthy.

Happy woke up to Kelly's screams. He flew off the couch and ran into the bedroom to find her clutching her stomach and crying. The pain and sorrow in her eyes broke his heart. He felt physically ill from the sadness that crashed over him like a tidal wave.

"Kelly, breathe baby. Come on." He stroked her hair before scooping her up off the bed, struck by the amount of blood on their white sheets. He swallowed back his own tears, refusing to cry in front of her. His only goal was to get her to the hospital and have her checked out. He knew it was too late for their son, as much as he wanted to deny it, he knew.

"Happy." Kelly sobbed as they rolled the hospital bed down the hall away from him. He shoved a couple nurses out of the way to follow her.

"You're gonna be okay, angel. I love you." Happy said, pressing his lips to her forehead as she was rolled away. He let his head drop as the door between them closed.

PRESENT DAY

"I know what you're thinking about, Kelly. Stop." Happy said, seeing the ghosts of the past floating in her eyes. She bit her lip and gave him a shy smile. He shook his head and packed his tattoo machine and equipment up as Kelly did one last walk through of the house. He knew that the miscarriage still affected her and he'd be lying to himself if he said that he was over it. Happy just hoped that it was something they could get through together instead of having it tear them apart again.

"I'm ready to go if you are." Kelly said, looping her arm through his. Happy pushed his concerns about the past out of his mind and exited her house one last time. He put his saddle bags back on the bike and handed Kelly his helmet. "You're sure you want to do this? I can always move the stuff back in."

"Shut up and get on the bike." Happy said with a gruff laugh. Kelly smirked and lifted her shoulders as she fastened the helmet beneath her chin. Happy could feel her laughing against his back and turned around to see a smile on her face. It made it all worth it to him.

"I'm telling you, Kelly. If this guy is an asshole, you let me know." Lee said, squeezing Kelly tightly. She laughed and nodded against his chest, realizing just how much she would miss him and the majority of SAMTAC.

"I will. I'm sure I'll get to visit sooner or later." Kelly said, stepping back from him before she started crying. He nodded and waved the prospect over. Lee took a black helmet out of the bag the younger man carried over and handed it to Kelly.

"You'll probably need this with the way your man rides." Lee said with a laugh. Kelly turned the helmet around in her hands and smiled at the pink pin striping details. She hugged the SAMTAC president one more time before turning to Happy.

"We've got to get on the road, brother. I appreciate you looking out for her." Happy said as Kelly moved on to say goodbye to a couple old ladies. Lee shook his head and motioned towards Kelly.

"That woman is family. We would have taken care of her even if you hadn't asked us to. Treat her right, Happy. She deserves it." Lee looked the man in the eyes and Happy knew that he'd have hell to pay if he ever hurt Kelly. Luckily for him, it was the last thing he'd ever think of doing.

"Juice, let's go." Happy barked as the young man started to head down the hall with a sweet-butt. Kelly looked on with a little laugh before following Tig outside, Happy and Juice bringing up the rear. Happy watched her hips sway and readjusted his jeans, wishing they'd had time to go a couple of rounds before heading back to Charming. Getting her inked was worth it though.

Kelly rested her cheek against Happy's back about three hours in. She knew they'd be coming up on a stop soon and desperately needed some coffee. Happy dropped his left hand and squeezed her thigh, knowing she had to be tired. She kissed the back of his neck and ran her hands underneath his leather cut, rubbing his abs teasingly. Not ten miles down the road, Happy signaled for their group to pull off at a service station. Tig and Juice headed inside while Happy grabbed Kelly's wrist and led her over to the side of the building.

"Keep teasing me and your ass is mine when we get to Charming, girl." Happy growled into her ear. Kelly smiled mischievously and raked her nails over his chest. Happy caught her wrist and kissed the palm of her hand. "You think I'm kidding?"

"I think I need something to wake me up. I was thinking coffee at first but I could be persuaded differently." Kelly slowly unzipped her leather jacket and wagged her eyebrows at Happy. He cracked his neck and ran his eyes up and down her body.

"You got to keep quiet. You think you can do that?" Happy knew she probably couldn't, she'd never been able to before. Kelly nodded and unbuckled his jeans. He growled and grabbed her hips, spinning her around to face the building. Kelly pressed her palms onto the cinderblocks as Happy entered her quickly. She bit her bottom lip and moaned, trying to stay as quiet as possible.

"Happy, oh, right there." Kelly panted as he pounded into her. He knew he was about to reach his breaking point and wanted to make sure she got something out of it to. She clawed at the wall as he rubbed at her bundle of nerves. She tightened around him immediately and screamed his name. He didn't care about her being quiet anymore, he spilled into her, barely able to catch his breath.

"You two good now?" Tig asked with a huge smile as Happy and Kelly walked back out to the fuel pumps. Juice was staring at his tank and snickering while Blue was full on laughing in Kelly's car. Happy was ready to snap at Tig when Kelly stroked his arm.

"Yeah, I'm good, for now. When's our next stop?" She looked from Tig to Happy and gave him a wry smile and a wink. He couldn't help but laugh and smack her ass playfully as she sauntered back to his bike. Tig was still smiling but gave his brother a nod of envy.

They still had another six hours to go, but Kelly felt refreshed and ready to stay awake for a few more hours at least. She loved being spontaneous with Happy, even if it was a little embarrassing to face the guys afterword. She wasn't ashamed of their healthy sex life, just of her inability to keep quiet. Kelly never had that problem with anyone else but Happy, but now that they were back together, she wasn't complaining.

Her mind was wandering as she looked out over the road ahead of them, so when Happy tensed and accelerated, it caught her off guard. She gripped onto him tightly and looked around for what could have caused his reaction. She looked back and noticed that Juice and Tig were hanging further back than they had been, both men looking back past her car. She lifted her gaze and saw two black suv's riding side by side between her car and the moving truck.

Kelly looked forward over Happy's shoulder as the white lines on the road flew by. She hated riding fast. She felt out of control and it made her nervous. Happy glanced back over his shoulder when he heard gunshots. He knew Kelly hated going any faster than fifty or sixty, but they were nearing ninety miles an hour. He could handle her being upset much better than he could handle her getting hurt.

The next five minutes felt like hours when finally, Juice and Tig caught back up with Happy and Kelly. Blue and the prospect weren't far behind in her car and the moving truck. She slid off the back of Happy's bike to check out the damage to her vehicle. Each side had deep scrapes where the other suv's had no doubt slammed into it. She ran her finger across a bullet hole and leaned her head back with frustration. The prospect got out of the cab of the truck and walked over to her.

"Sorry about your car. It was a nice ride." He said putting his arm across her shoulders. She opened her eyes quickly and looked over at him, stepping away quickly. He raised his brow, seemingly unaware of what he'd done wrong. Happy was there in an instant, jerking the prospect back by the collar of his shirt.

"You don't touch another man's woman. Ever." Happy growled, his hand now around the prospect's throat. He was stressed and pissed and the prospect and made himself an easy target for Happy to release some of that frustration. Kelly was torn between her compassionate nature and the rules of the club. The young man surely didn't mean anything by his actions, or so she believed, but she also knew that as a prospect, he had crossed a serious line with a patched member's old lady. It was about respect.

"Happy, brother, we need to get back on the road." Blue said carefully. Happy's knuckles were busted open from the blows he'd landed on the prospect. He pushed the man back towards the truck and turned around, shrugging Kelly's hand off his shoulder. She pursed her lips and looked over at Blue.

"Give us a minute." She said, wishing she could check on the young man without it pissing Happy off. She jogged to catch up with him as he walked a little farther down the road. "Happy, talk to me."

"About what, Kelly?" Happy's voice was even but he didn't turn around to look at her. She sighed and approached him again, putting her hand on his upper arm. "You gonna bitch at me for the prospect?"

"No, I'm not. It may have been a while but I remember how the club works, Happy. I'm going to bitch at you for shrugging me off." Kelly said, crossing her arms over her chest. Happy turned to look at her and took a deep breath.

"I'm tired and trying to get us back whole. Sorry if I don't have time to coddle you." He growled. Kelly tried not to take his tone personally but it irritated her that he spoke to her like that. She took a deep breath and nodded slowly.

"Well, if you're done throwing a fit then we can get back on the road." Kelly snapped, turning on her heel and walking back towards the group. He could tell he'd pissed her off by the way she was walking. The woman could hold a hell of a grudge when she wanted to, so he knew he'd have to stop being an ass to her if he wanted sex that week.

"Come on, angel. We're getting closer." Happy said, handing her helmet over. She saw that he looked less tense and decided to let their little spat go. He pressed his lips onto hers and she coaxed him into deepening the kiss with her tongue. "Better?"

"A little. Let's go. I'm horny." Kelly said matter of factually. Happy laughed deeply and strapped his helmet on, ready to get home to satisfy his woman.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Charming had always seemed like a place of myth to Kelly, even when she visited on various occasions, the last being Herman's funeral. She had heard the legends of how it all started and stories about the First 9. Now that she lived there, it seemed to lose some of the glimmer. She saw the disconnect between the members and fought to keep her cool with Gemma and some of the croweaters. Kelly was friendly with Lyla, Opie's wife, but only considered Tara a friend in the beginning.

She finished her first day at St. Thomas and was looking for a nice relaxing night with her man. Instead, she found herself drug into the SAMCRO clubhouse for lockdown. She was never a fan of lockdowns, if such a person existed, but she was particularly unhappy about being on lockdown with a group of people she barely knew.

"Please tell me this doesn't happen a lot." Kelly said, sitting down on a couch across from Tara. She was digging through her bag, trying to find something to entertain Abel and Thomas with. The doctor frowned and looked the blonde in the eyes. "Wonderful."

"I may not go as far as saying a lot, but it's gotten a little more frequent since the guys got out of Stockton. This whole deal with the cartel puts everyone on edge." Tara said casually. She saw Kelly's eyes widen and immediately knew she'd said the wrong thing. Her cheeks were no longer golden as they normally were, now they were deep red. Tara wondered if there was any way to smooth things over.

"A cartel?" Kelly said, leaning back against the couch. Tara handed Thomas a plastic motorcycle and tried to think of what to say. Kelly was getting madder by the minute as things started to line up and make more sense. Why they'd travelled with so many men from Tacoma, why Happy hadn't wanted her to come to Charming in the first place, even why Herman had been killed by a damn land mine.

"Hey girl." Happy said, leaning over the back of the couch and attempting to kiss her cheek. She dodged his attempt and scowled at him. He was confused, considering their quickie before he'd gone in for church. "What's your problem?"

"My problem? Trust me, I never wanted any part of this problem. You didn't think to tell me about a fucking cartel before I moved down here? Leave that detail out when you told me about my brother being blown up?" Kelly was pissed, more pissed than he'd seen her since the rally before she got married. He knew he should have told her about it sooner.

"Not the place, Kelly." He growled, looking up to see Clay and Gemma at the bar. They tried to hide it but he knew they were listening. Tara stood up and he darted his eyes to her.

"I'm sorry. I thought she knew." Tara spoke quickly, unsure if her apology would make him angrier or calm him down. She'd never really gotten to know him, despite their mutual connection to the club.

"You don't have to apologize, Tara. That's what friends do, they talk to each other. People in relationships normally do that to, if they give a damn." Happy grabbed her by the arm and drug her to the dorm-like apartment down the hallway off the main room. He flung the door open and guided her inside. "What? Now you want to talk?"

"You ever stop to think I didn't tell you to protect you, Kelly? The more you know, the more valuable you are to the enemy." Happy growled, frustrated with the Rock and hard place he was sandwiched between.

"Cut the protective bullshit out, Happy! I'm capable of protecting myself and you know it. Hell, I wouldn't even have to be protected from anything if you would have been honest with me. I can't do anything to protect myself if I don't know there's a threat!" Kelly started pacing the room as Happy stood motionless.

"I'm sorry you found out from Tara." Happy finally said after a few minutes of tense silence. Kelly slowed her pacing to a stop and looked up at him.

"Seriously? That's what you're sorry about? What was your vote on it? Tell me, Happy." She was putting her foot down, refusing to hear anything but a direct, honest answer. Happy knew that. He also knew that beyond her frustration with him, she was also upset because of the cartel's hand in Kozik's death. Happy knew that what he told her would only escalate the fight.

"I voted against working with the cartel and the drugs. The only thing I voted for was having protection inside. We didn't know it was going to come at this price." Happy saw heat flash in Kelly's ice blue eyes.

"Drugs? The club is what, dealing drugs now? Do the other charters know about it?" Kelly knew that Lee would never stand for that type of activity, regardless of the benefit. Happy set his mouth in a thin line.

"You're crossing lines, girl. It's not your concern if other charters know. As far as our involvement, we ain't dealing, we're transporting. Jax is working on finding an end game, getting the club legit again." Happy hoped she'd be calmed by the light at the end of the tunnel.

"So my brother came home from the war, hooked on drugs, I helped get him clean and he gets killed for the club's relationship with a drug cartel? How many more people are going to get hurt or killed before this end game happens, Happy?" Kelly sat down hard on the foot of the bed, covering her face with her hands. Happy waited to move until he saw her shoulders quivering with sobs.

"I'm sorry, angel. If I could take his place, I would." Happy was being completely honest. In his mind, Kozik was a lot better man than he'd ever be and his own death wouldn't have hurt Kelly nearly as much. Kelly shoved him away and stood up.

"Don't you ever say that! I would miss you just as much." Kelly said, shoving his shoulders again. Happy caught her wrists and held them lightly. She calmed down a little and dropped her head, looking down into his eyes as he now sat on the bed where she had been.

"I should have told you and I'm sorry, Kelly. You can be pissed but I'm going to do everything I can to keep you safe. It's not that you can't, we just all need someone watching our backs." Happy said, rubbing his thumbs over the soft, smooth skin of the inside of her wrists. Kelly took a deep breath and nodded.

"From now on, just tell me what's going on, okay? I don't need day to day but if it's something big, please let me find out from you." Kelly said lowering herself down to sit on his lap. Happy leaned forward and kissed her lips, slowly leaning backwards until he was lying on the bed with her on top of him. She slowly traced her hand down his chest, sitting up along the way. Happy watched her run that same hand through her hair as she ground herself against his jeans. He hadn't gotten this turned on through clothes since he was thirteen.

"You still mad at me, angel?" Happy asked, running his hand up from her bare leg to her neck. She'd fallen asleep shortly after they'd fucked for the second time. Her eyes were still hooded and he knew she was exhausted. She nodded with a yawn and he just couldn't take her seriously. "Want me to sleep on a couch?"

"No. You sleep here with me." She yawned again and ended it with a sleepy smile. Happy laughed quietly and pulled his boxer briefs on, knowing they'd end up fucking again if they were both naked. Happy got into bed behind her and wrapped an arm over her waist, pulling her back to his chest before closing his own eyes.

Kelly woke up with Happy in the same position she remembered him going to sleep in. Normally, he would move because of how warm her body made his. For whatever reason, he didn't let her go the whole night. She hated to move and disturb him, but she had to get to work. As soon as she moved, Happy tightened his hold on her.

"Lockdown, Kelly." Happy grumbled sleepily. She turned to look at him and raised her brow, wondering if he was really serious.

"Happy, yesterday was my first day. I can't call in right now. Tara is going to work." Kelly hated how juvenile that sounded, but it was the truth. Happy groaned and moved his arm to let her up. She wished there was some way to have it both, lying with him in bed all morning and working. "Ride with Tara."

"That was the plan, baby. Will you do me a favor and be careful today?" Kelly asked around her toothbrush. Happy grunted in agreement and turned over, away from the light. Kelly smiled and shut the door before getting into the shower.

Thirty minutes later, she was grabbing her back pack to meet Tara outside at her SUV. They both looked tired to one another and Kelly yawned uncontrollably. Tara laughed and handed her a thermos of coffee. She smiled sweetly and took it before getting in the passenger seat.

"Are you and Happy okay? I really didn't mean to cause anything." Tara said as she drove off the lot. Rat closed the gate behind them.

"We're good. He had reasons that make sense to him and I respect that. I think it was more upsetting to get the final piece of the puzzle in Herman's death. I'm not really thrilled that they're linked to a cartel but it's all about survival to Happy." Kelly said, knowing her man well enough to know what motivated him.

"Unfortunately they don't all have such noble reasons. I know Clay is behind this because I know it brings in a lot of cash." Tara said, parking in her reserved spot. Kelly knew she was right. Kelly had never like Clay, much less trusted him. She yawned one more time before heading into the hospital and parting ways with Tara.

"Kelly? Hi, I'm Doctor Cooke." A young looking doctor with dark brown hair extended his hand to her. She took it and shook it with a smile. "You're on rotation with me today."

"Oh, okay. Let me just grab my stethoscope." Kelly darted into the locker room and grabbed her jacket and stethoscope, knowing she would get cold soon enough. She was a little surprised that she was being put on a doctor's service instead of just floating between rooms, but she didn't mind. In her mind, it was going to give her a chance to learn.

"Hey." Kelly jumped at the gravelly sound of Happy's voice. She hadn't expected to see him until after her shift. She smiled, after recovering from the surprise, and stepped across the hall with him. "You going on lunch soon?"

"Yeah, in a few minutes. You came to have lunch with me?" Kelly smiled, her cheeks turning a little pink. Happy nodded and glanced up to see a young man in a white coat walking towards them.

"Kelly, did we get the results on Mr. Brandt?" Kelly nodded and handed the chart. She could feel Happy tensing slightly behind her. The doctor nodded and handed it back to her.

"Great job, Kelly. I'll see you after lunch." Happy didn't like how much he smiled when he talked to Kelly. He may not smile much himself, but he recognized when people used it to flirt. He was imagining several creative ways to disembowel him when Kelly turned to back to him.

"Are you ready? I just need to drop these off at the nurse's station." She didn't miss the calculating look on Happy's face, but decided to ignore it and hope it just went away. He was always protective and territorial but she didn't tolerate jealously. He could make his claim and even push the prospects around if need be, but the minute he started questioning her or hovering, he crossed a line. She just hoped it didn't make it that far.

"Where to? I have an hour before I need to be back." She said, walking close by his side. Happy didn't answer. Instead, he led her out to his bike and handed her helmet over. She was starting to wonder what was going on when he headed away from down town and food. It didn't make any sense until he stopped at a house with a for sale sign. They had talked about looking for a house, but just hadn't seen anything in their price range.

"What do you think?" Happy asked after they'd toured the open concept living area, three bedrooms and garage. Kelly loved the large kitchen and the master bedroom with a lot of natural light.

"I like it, but there's no way it's in our price range." She said, sitting across from him at the diner. Her lunch hour was half over and she was starving. Happy shrugged.

"Not if we change the price range. Bigger down payment, same amount financed." Happy said, stopping the conversation as the waitress took their orders.

"I can't put any more in for the down payment right now, Happy." Kelly had told him that if they looked to buy a home instead of rent one, she was going to put down half the down payment and pay half the mortgage every month. Happy hated the idea of her paying for anything but knew there was no point arguing about it.

"I've got what we would need, girl. Unfortunate partnerships have their benefits." Happy knew Kelly would understand what he was saying. Her brows raised and she shook her head.

"We were supposed to be in half and half, Happy. I don't want to be your guest." Kelly said, stabbing at her salad. Happy rolled his eyes.

"You think that ink on you is temporary, Kelly? You ain't some guest." Happy growled, wondering when she'd get that he was in this for good. She nodded and started eating her salad. Happy noticed her eating around the tomatoes and wondered when she'd stopped liking them.

"I like it, Happy. Let's put an offer in." Kelly said with a smile after he shut the bike off in front of the hospital. He smirked and kissed her lips.

"Already did, girl. I'll pick you up at eight." Happy dodged the slap to his chest, relieved to see a big smile on her face.

"Fine, just be careful." She said, waving him off. He nodded and fastened his helmet strap. Kelly shook her head, amused at just how unpredictable he could be at times. She knew that most people couldn't get close enough to him to see that side of him. For that, she felt truly lucky.

When he picked her up that night, she was even more exhausted than the day before. She'd seen eight different patients on and off throughout the day, making for a very long shift. Her arms around Happy were the only things that kept her on the back of of the bike.

"You feeling okay, Kelly?" Happy asked, giving her his hand to help her get off the bike. She yawned and nodded before shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, I'm just exhausted. Dr. Cooke had me running all over the floor today. Someone kept me up last night to." She purred, hanging on to his neck. Happy smirked and kissed her deeply.

"Yeah, I seem to remember you starting that." He said, peeling her off and popping her on the butt. She looked over her shoulder with a playful smile before going back to their "apartment" and crashing for the night. Happy stayed out at the bar for a couple hours, trying to stop his mind from running with thoughts.

"Wake up, girl." Happy said, rubbing her Kelly's back. She groaned and rolled over to face him. She noticed the sun streaming in through the window and buried her face in his arm.

"What time is it?" Kelly asked, her voice muffled. Happy checked his phone before answering her.

"Noon. Come on, I've got plans." Happy said, pinching her side. She groaned again and swatted at his hand. She had slept well, she just wasn't done yet. "I'll pick your skinny ass up and carry you outside if you don't move."

"Lies. You don't want the guys to get a free show." Kelly teased as she tossed the covers off her naked body. She tried not to think about how many other women had been in that bed and couldn't wait to go back to his house after lockdown. More than that, she hoped they were able to buy the house they'd looked at.

"Got you up, didn't it." Happy said with a smirk. Kelly waved his comment off and walked into the small bathroom to take a shower. He joined her and woke her up with their normal morning routine of shower sex. Kelly made two braids down the side of her scalp and let the middle curl naturally before she pulled it all back in a long pony tail. "You look like some gladiator bitch. It's pretty hot."

"Nuh uh, Killer. You woke me up saying you have plans." Kelly said as Happy ran his hands down her arms before grabbing her hips. Happy rolled his eyes, wishing he hadn't said anything so he could get into her pants again.

"Fine, let's go then." Happy grumbled, pulling his leather cut on. Kelly loved walking behind him and watching his self assured gait. He hated it though, feeling like he was leading her around instead of walking with her. Happy gave Jax a nod before he and Kelly exited the clubhouse. Juice was already waiting on his bike, listening to music on his iPod.

Happy and Juice road side by side as they headed out to the gun range. Happy knew that Kelly needed to let off some steam and he also wanted to make sure she was still a good shot. At one point, she had beaten her older brother when they were shooting cans at a range in Tacoma. She'd managed to knock down fifteen to his thirteen in thirty seconds.

"This is yours. It's been filed so don't get caught with it." Happy said, handing Kelly a Colt 1911. He knew she didn't like small guns, so he didn't bother trying to get her to carry one. Kelly turned the gun over in her hands before dropping the magazine and clearing the chamber. She knew her way around a gun.

"Come on Juice, I bet you twenty that I can get more shots closer to center." Kelly said, motioning towards the firing lanes. Happy smirked, admiring the view of her dark jeans walking away as she followed Juice. Happy grabbed a few boxes of ammo from his saddle bags and headed over to join them. Kelly handed him a set of foam ear plugs with a smile.

"Damnit. This is embarrassing." Juice said after they pulled their targets. Kelly had twenty rounds less than two inches from center and the other five weren't that much farther off. Juice wasn't a bad shot but she'd beaten him by a few rounds. Happy smirked and rubbed her lower back.

"Thought I'd be with a woman that can't shoot?" Happy asked with a laugh. Juice shrugged, obviously sore about being beaten by Kelly.

"Yeah, just remember that when you want to step out of line." Kelly teased playfully. Juice sniggered and Happy snapped his fingers threateningly while he tried not to laugh. Kelly gave him an exaggerated wink and he chuckled. "You want to lose, Hap?"

"Couldn't if I tried, girl. Don't forget who taught you how to shoot." Kelly rolled her eyes and mocked him playfully. Happy nodded and pulled out his Glock, unloading it rapidly. He then pulled his second Glock and did the same. Kelly folded her arms as he walked down the firing lane to retrieve his target.

"Show off. You can't even tell anything from this. It's just a big hole. Half your rounds could have missed by a yard." Kelly knew that wasn't the case, but she took great pleasure in teasing him. He shook his head and pulled his sunglasses down over his eyes as he reloaded his magazine.

"How long have you two known each other?" Juice asked. Happy ignored his question, letting Kelly answer if she wanted to.

"Since Herman prospected in Tacoma. We never really talked until he was patched in." Kelly didn't feel the need to go into any further detail. He'd gotten his answer and the rest was history between she and Happy. Like Happy, she tried to keep her personal life personal.

"So it's been a while." Juice said with a nod, starting to understand why the woman Happy had brought down from Tacoma seemed so in sync with him. He recognized the way they would communicate without words and knew that type of connection didn't form in a few months. Their relationship was unlike any other he'd seen around the club. Kelly respected Happy and the ways of the club, but she was still able to voice her opinions in a way that didn't cross any lines. Normally, old ladies would either keep quiet or cross lines, like Gemma. Not Kelly though. Juice wondered if that was why Happy respected her opinions as well, because it was mutual.

"Come on, if we're late for Gemma's dinner she'll never let it go." Happy said, holstering his guns. Kelly tucked hers in the back of her waistband, surprised by how natural it felt. She'd stopped carrying for a while after she and Happy had broken up. It wasn't until she was going through her divorce that she started carrying a revolver in her purse. It wasn't her first choice, but seemed less aggressive than a full sized or subcompact handgun.

Kelly was worried about going to dinner at Gemma's house. Not only was she fairly uncomfortable around Gemma, she had no idea what she was supposed to wear or if she was supposed to bring anything. Happy talked her into keeping her hair done up how she wore it at the range, so she now had the challenge of finding something besides a t-shirt and leather jacket that went with it. She finally settled on a one shoulder tank top with a jeweled strap. It showed off her memorial tattoo and the jewels gave it enough pizazz to not be overly casual.

"I'm glad we're going back to your place after dinner." Kelly said as they walked out to the bike. Clay had lifted the lockdown and she had already packed her things, ready for the privacy of Happy's house.

"Me to, angel." Happy said, adjusting his knife before starting the bike. Kelly was accustomed to riding on the back of his Harley now, so she normally kept her hands on her thighs or loosely around his chest. She was getting back in the swing of being an old lady, even if it was in Charming instead of Tacoma.

Happy opened the door for Kelly, not bothering to knock. Gemma was expecting them and there were already a few bikes in front of the house. This was the first time Kelly had been in the SAMCRO queen's house and she was honestly surprised that it wasn't all leather and metal. Instead, the home actually felt warm and inviting.

Unfortunately, the same could not be said for Gemma. She all but ignored Kelly until everyone sat down for dinner. At that time, she drug up the past. Kelly ignored the first few comments she made, knowing that she had a brass nature. It wasn't until she brought up her ex-husband that Kelly's temper flared.

"So you two are back on, just like that? What's your cop husband think about that?" Gemma asked after Tara asked how Kelly was liking St. Thomas compared to Tacoma General. Kelly set her fork down calmly and slowly looked across the table at Gemma.

"I get that you're some type of royalty around here, but you don't know me, you don't get to pass judgement. I've been taking your shit all night. Don't mistake my politeness for weakness, Gemma." Kelly kept her voice even, despite wanting to jump across the table to choke her.

"Oh sweetheart, I see right through you, even if these men don't. They're blinded by your last name. When the water rises, the rats will come out of the woodwork." She said, making little sense to anyone sitting around the large table. Jax stood up around the same Happy did.

"Are you high or something, Mom?" Jax snapped. Gemma pursed her lips and scowled at him without a word.

"If you're calling Kelly a rat, you're calling me a rat." Happy rasped, his tone menacing and cold. Jax looked from Happy to Gemma and shook his head.

"I'm not calling you a rat. She's the one that was married to a cop." Gemma spat, surprising everyone by taking a tone with Happy. He was the last to disrespect anyone and the last to be disrespected.

"Thank you for dinner." Kelly said, grabbing her bag and stepping away from the table. Happy's arm was quivering with anger when Kelly took his hand. She didn't pull him away, but waited for him to make that choice himself. He looked from Gemma to Jax.

"Never again." Happy said to Jax, letting him know that he would never again allow her to disrespect Kelly or him. Jax understood that as respectful to women as Happy was, he drew the line when it came to Kelly. On top of that, no one ever questioned his loyalty to the club.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

The entire room was silent as Happy sat back down. Kelly pulled her bottom lip in, unhappy with his decision to stay. She sat down in her seat, knowing that to even attempt to leave without him would be disrespectful. Happy didn't look at Kelly, worried that seeing any type of emotion in her eyes would push him over the edge he was already teetering on. Juice was the first to break the uncomfortable silence.

"I brought pie." He said to no one in particular. Tig shook his head and ran his ringed hand over his face. Kelly looked past Happy to Tig and tried to keep a smirk off her face. She knew there was no way to fix the situation that happened, so she figured she might as well have fun if she was stuck there.

"How exactly did you get the pie over here?" Kelly asked after another minute of silence. Juice raised his brow at her as if it was the silliest question he'd ever heard.

"In my saddle bag. It's in a paper bag. It's good." Juice furrowed his brow as several people around the table snickered. Kelly's laughter loosened the tension she had been feeling in her neck.

"Is it frozen? If it's not, you're going to have a good time cleaning your saddle bags." She said, finally getting a hint of a smile from Happy. Juice headed outside quickly, everyone except Gemma laughing as he went. Kelly put her hand on Happy's knee and tried to make eye contact with him. He was still avoiding her eyes.

Happy made the decision not to hang around for beer after dinner. He and Kelly left quietly, only saying goodbye to a couple people. Kelly could tell that he was still angry, pissed even. He rode like his life depended on it, Kelly hanging on tightly all the way. When they finally pulled into his driveway, Kelly sprung off the motorcycle.

"Are you trying to kill me, Happy?" Kelly snapped, readjusting her backpack. Happy didn't answer right away, walking towards the front door instead. She stood out in the drive for a minute, trying to remain calm. When she came inside, she heard the unmistakable sound of skin hitting the vinyl of a punching bag. She sighed and dropped her bag on the couch. Sure enough, Happy was in the tiny guest bedroom, giving a punching bag hell. "Happy."

"What?" Happy said between jabs. His back was turned to the door that Kelly was leaning on. He kicked the bag and it shook some plaster out of the ceiling. When he turned back to face Kelly, she wasn't there. He hit the bag a few more times until the knuckles on his right hand were swollen and bleeding.

Kelly was unpacking and starting laundry when she heard Happy walk across the hall into the master bedroom. She didn't move to approach him, knowing that he needed space and time to cool off before he would talk to her. She reached into the pocket of the blue jeans he had worn the day before, fully aware that he was bad about leaving things in his pocket, only to have it go through the wash and get ruined. She pulled out a sealed, folded envelope and tossed it on top of the dryer. It wasn't until she caught a glimpse of the handwriting on the front while reaching for washing powder that she paid the envelope any further attention.

"I haven't opened it." Happy said, walking into the kitchen to see Kelly looking at the letter from Kozik, or at least the envelope. She was staring at it like it was a bomb, ticking down to going off. Happy stretched out his freshly bandaged hand placed it on her shoulder. She turned around to look at him with a frown.

"Why does it still bother me? Why can't I see his picture or his handwriting and just act normal? Why does it still feel like he died yesterday?" Kelly asked, her bottom lip quivering. Happy picked up the envelope and slid it into the inner pocket of his cut, where it normally stayed.

"I haven't read it because when I do, that's it. There won't be anything else besides a fucking urn. It bothers you because he's your brother and he's gone too soon." Happy said, smoothing her hair. Kelly shook her head, feeling the need for a stiff drink. She didn't like needing alcohol. She knew she had a problem. Happy watched her walk over to the refrigerator and stare at it for a minute. "You don't need it, angel."

"I feel like I do. It's the only thing that stops the pain once it comes up." Kelly admitted. Happy nodded, understanding where she was coming from. He moved in front of the fridge and leaned against it.

"Tonight, when Gemma crossed that line, I wanted to torture her. She disrespected me and worse, she disrespected you. I didn't stop myself because of the club, Kelly. I stopped because of you. I knew that whatever price I would pay for that would hurt you. You're my center." Happy hoped he didn't sound like as much of a pussy to Kelly as he did in his own head. It was true though and he couldn't find another way to say it.

"They would have killed you, either Jax or Clay. I can't lose you, Happy. Even if this doesn't work out, being together, I have to know you're safe." Kelly realized that she didn't need anything in the refrigerator behind Happy. All she needed to get through hard times was the man in front of her. Sure, he didn't numb the pain but he made it bearable.

"Nothing's gonna happen to me, girl." Happy growled, advancing on her. She met him in the middle, kissing him deeply.

"How about spending the rest of the night in bed? I don't work tomorrow either." Kelly whispered in his ear. He nodded, picking her up and tossing her over his shoulder. She squealed as he held her down with his hand on her ass. No sooner did Happy slide into her, his phone started vibrating inside his discarded pants pocket. Kelly grabbed his necklace chain and shook her head as he slowed his thrusting.

"Hold on, girl." Happy said after his phone started vibrating for the second call. Kelly groaned and dropped her hands from his shoulders. "Yeah, what is it?"

"We have an emergency vote. Change of leadership." Bobby said, knowing he probably just interrupted something. Happy glanced down at his erection before looking up at the ceiling.

"Yeah, alright. Give me ten…" Kelly cleared her throat loudly and Happy narrowed his eyes at her. "Give me fifteen."

"You better plan on riding fast, killer. The bike, not me." Kelly said, turning over so her knees were spread and her hands were gripping the headboard. Happy knew he was in deep shit with her and did the only thing he could to try and stay out of the dog house. He grabbed her waist and pulled her back down to the mattress, ignoring her scowl. He dipped his head between her legs and tried to earn her forgiveness.

Happy sat down in his chair at the end of the table, wondering why this vote couldn't have waited until morning or happened earlier in the day. It was a long time coming. He spun his ring around his finger impatiently, wishing he could have gotten off before the damn vote. He placed his vote and waited for the rest of the table to confirm Jax's rise to the gavel.

"Hey, sweetheart. You look stressed." Candy, a one time favorite of Happy purred, running her hand over his jeans. Happy looked down at her big, doe eyes and pushed his toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other. He grabbed the back of her neck and pressed his cheek to hers, pressing his mouth right close to her ear.

"Touch me again and I'll make sure you and Chucky have matching hands." He growled, shoving her away. She blinked a couple times before hurrying away, no doubt into the arms of one of his brothers. He never cared to share the croweaters or sweet butts with his brothers but he couldn't imagine a single one touching Kelly. Just the thought pissed him off and made him want to claim what was his even more.

Tig had seen the whole thing from his seat at the bar. He'd seen the moment hesitation when Candy pushed up on him. It was only natural, she was one of the best lays around the clubhouse. It wasn't the hesitation that interested him though. He saw his brother who had been the first to parties and the last to leave, high tail it out of the clubhouse to get home to his old lady. Tig knew two things; first, Happy was completely in love with Kelly and second, contrary to Clay's prediction, that had made him even more volatile. Tig knew that he'd fight to his dying breath to get home to Kelly.

Kelly was in the shower when Happy got home, and he nearly scared her half to death. He'd slammed the front door, stormed into the bedroom, only to throw the bathroom door open hard enough to knock a hole in the wall. When she looked into his eyes, she realized that the wild look wasn't anger. It was raw, passionate yearning.

Outside Happy's house sat a black Honda Civic. It had gotten there about five minutes before Happy returned from the clubhouse, which was the only reason the driver hadn't made it inside. He had pulled the door closed as the biker rushed inside, slamming the door behind him. He waited a few minutes to see if he was going to rush right back outside. When Happy didn't emerge from the house, the driver opened the car door and headed to the house. He tried the front door and found it locked, of course.

That was when he heard it, the sounds of screaming coming from the back of the house. It kicked his muscle memory into gear and he rushed around towards the back, sensing trouble. He slowed down when he made out the words that were being screamed. It made his blood boil. He holstered his gun and thought about walking back to his car and leaving. There was light coming from a window on the back of the house, stopping just short of an oak tree.

Kelly arched her back as Happy held her hips, enjoying the view of his woman on top. He ran his thumb over the nearly healed tattoo on her hip and she smirked down at him. Neither of them knew about the man standing just inside the shadows, watching their silhouettes through the thin curtains. Happy never had women to his house before Kelly and even if he had, no one in Charming or the surrounding areas would ever think about coming near his house.

Tommy Ingle headed back to his car after his ex-wife and her biker boyfriend moved out of sight. Seeing them together, like that made him sick and angry. Divorced or not, Kelly had been his wife. She was still his, despite what some paperwork said. He knew that the only way to get her back was to get her alone. For that, he'd have to study the habits of both she and Happy Lowman. He knew that if he got caught, the man that he'd just watched fuck his wife would kill him. He wasn't going to let that happen. They would disappear before the man ever knew she was missing.

Kelly walked out of the shower, wrapped in a fluffy white towel. She could barely feel her legs and knew she was going to be sore in the morning. It was worth it though. She crawled into the bed that Happy had just changed the sheets on and curled up on his chest. He didn't mind her wet hair because it smelled like lavender and vanilla.

"Thank you, Happy." Kelly whispered, pressing a kiss to his chest. He paused the stroking of her back and she looked up to see a quizzical look on his face. She smiled and put her head back down. "For being my center."

"Anytime, girl." Happy said with a smile. He never knew how much he'd missed Kelly until she was back in his life. Now, he couldn't imagine life without her. The time apart seemed to have done them well, he grew up and she seemed to grow stronger. He only wished that Kozik had been around to see it.

Despite how tired their marathon sex had made him, Happy couldn't sleep. He waited until Kelly was sound asleep to slowly and carefully get out of bed. She grunted a little and rolled over to her side, her back towards him. He waited another moment before crossing the room and grabbing his leather cut. He walked into the living room and turned on a lamp as he lit a joint.

"Sorry for my timing, brother." Happy said, pulling out the envelope as he sat on the couch in nothing but his underwear. He took another hit from the joint and sat it down on the ashtray. After a brief pause, he tore the end of the envelope open and pulled the letter out. It felt like lead in his hands. Happy took one more hit from the joint and unfolded the letter

 _Hap-_

 _You're sitting down the bar from me as I write this. You've already asked me if I was good three times today. I kept saying yeah and blowing you off but to be honest, I just got a bad feeling, man. I ain't writing this because I want to die or be in a coma or whatever reason you're reading this. I'm writing this because there's a lot of shit I want to say without you thinking I'm a bitch. Don't. You can't think dead guys or vegetables are bitches._

 _First, I want to say thank you for introducing me to the club. If it wasn't for you all, I don't know where I would have ended up. Being in the club gave me a purpose. It made me feel like I mattered to someone besides my sister. It's been a good ride, brother. We've been through some crazy shit and it doesn't show any signs of stopping, but it's been good. I've gained a family, a brother and a best friend._

 _Brother, I also want to thank you for taking care of Kelly. I don't just mean back when, I mean now. Yeah, I've got a crystal ball or some shit. I know you two are going to come back together once I'm in an urn. I don't know how it's going to go brother, but I will say this: if you hurt my sister again, I'm going to come back as some poltergeist and haunt your ass for the rest of you life. On the flip side, if you want to marry Kelly or make her your old lady for good, whatever, I give you my blessing._

 _Watch out for my little bird, Happy. That means watching out for yourself to. She's gonna need you when I'm gone. Love you, brother._

 _-Kozik_

Happy set the letter on the table and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to cut the tears off. He felt a sob and kicked the table. It sent a vase that Kelly had put there smashing onto the floor.

Kelly woke from the sound of breaking glass with a start. She realized that Happy wasn't in the bedroom and felt under his pillow for his Glock, sure enough, it was there. She didn't understand why he would leave the room without it if someone was breaking in. Without a second thought, she racked one in the chamber and headed into the hall, gun drawn and clearing corners like she'd seen in police shows.

What she found in the living room shocked her more than if someone had been breaking in the house. There was a smoking joint sitting on the ashtray next to the couch Happy was sitting on. He had his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. Kelly could see his body jerking with quiet sobs. She put the gun on the table next to the joint and walked over to him.

Kelly didn't know what to say and Happy didn't know what he wanted to hear, so they just sat on the couch. Kelly had pulled his head over to her chest and she held him close. It didn't last long. Maybe two or three minutes later, Happy sat up and put the letter back in the envelope and placed it right back in his cut. Without a word, he walked into the kitchen and came back with a broom and pan to clean up the glass.

"Happy, I can get that." Kelly said, standing up to help him. He shook his head and started sweeping. "Look, I know you don't want to talk about it. Just, if you ever do, I'm here to listen."

"Yeah, I know, angel. Go back to bed. I'll be there in a few minutes." Happy said, now thoroughly exhausted from dealing with more emotions than he'd felt in the last ten years combined. Kelly nodded and walked back to the bedroom, assuming he probably wanted a few minutes alone.

When Happy did come to bed a few minutes later, he climbed in behind Kelly and hooked his arm around her hips. She wiggled back towards him to become as close as possible. Happy pressed a gentle kiss to her shoulder and closed his eyes, finding sleep quickly.

 ****** SOA **** SOA ***** SOA ******

A month had passed and things were starting to settle into what Happy and Kelly could only call normal. The club was still working with the cartel and dealing with dangers that came with that, but Jax finally had a set plan to get out of their partnership. Kelly was getting the hang of how St. Thomas operated and even started forming some possible friendships with other nurses.

Kelly found herself being truly happy more often than not. She still missed her older brother, but when she though of him, she was finally able to remember their good times instead of focusing on his absence. In a way, seeing Happy broken down that night helped her accept Herman's passing. She realized she wasn't the only one hurting and knew that they would get through it together.

Things hadn't improved with Gemma. She and Kelly avoided one another whenever possible, but Kelly always got an invitation to Sunday dinner. If she wasn't working, she would go with Happy but they never had a repeat of the first dinner. It was the most progress Kelly could really see in her relationship with the Queen B of SAMCRO.

Happy still carried Kozik's letter in his pocket. He didn't need a reminder to treat Kelly right, he just wanted to keep it close. Things were going well with Kelly, in his opinion. They were closing on the house at the end of the month and he was planning on getting her a puppy for her birthday. For only the second time in his life, he was settled down, but this time he was determined to do it right.

"Hey, I wasn't expecting you for lunch." Kelly said, giving him a quick kiss. She noticed his leather cut was buttoned from top to bottom, which he rarely ever did. Kelly hugged him and felt the extra rigidity between their bodies. "Expecting some bad weather?"

It was a code phrase they'd come up with when she realized that she couldn't ask questions she needed answered while she was at work. She watched him nod and he watched her bite her lip.

"Slight chance, angel. I'll be back tomorrow night." Happy said, hugging Kelly back as she wrapped her arms around him. He kissed the top of her head, not giving a damn how soft he looked. He was with his girl. "Keep your umbrella with you, aight?"

"I will. Be careful, Happy." Kelly knew he needed to leave, judging by Jax and Chibs appearing at the end of the hall. He nodded and straightened his cut.

"Always, Kelly." He gave her half a smile before kissing her far more intensely than she normally preferred at the hospital. She had her hand on the side of his face, wishing he didn't have to go. He'd been on runs since she'd moved to Charming, of course, but never one where he left wearing a Kevlar vest. She watched him walk away and gave a small wave to Chibs and Jax. Jax waved back and Chibs nodded.

Kelly looked at her watch, she had forty-five minutes left on her lunch break. Just as she was thinking about eating in the cafeteria, Tara showed up. They agreed to go to the diner down the street, so long as Kelly drove her newly repaired Audi. The two club women were talking as they walked out to the parking lot, neither noticing anything out of the ordinary about a black Honda Civic parked a few spaces down.

 **Thank you so much for all the new follows/favorites. I appreciate every single one. With that being said, I would love love love some more reviews, even if it's just a quick smiley face or sad face, depending on your thoughts. HUGE shout out and thank you to ItsSimplyNatalie for the cover picture! Check it out everyone, she did an awesome job.**


	10. Chapter 10

Kelly was proud of how much work she was getting done in order to get ready to move into the new house. Happy didn't know it yet, but she had already ordered a new hot tub to go on the back patio. They'd spent a fair share of time in the hot tub at their old place in Tacoma and it had always done wonders for his sore muscles after long rides. It was her way of surprising him and celebrating their new home.

"Hey, Kelly?" She jumped, surprised to hear her name when she'd all but forgotten she wasn't home alone. She looked back at Ratboy who had just walked in from the den.

"Yeah? What's up?" Kelly said, feeling her heart finally begin to slow back down. He gave her an apologetic smirk and rubbed at the back of his neck. "What?"

"Are you planning on going anywhere for like, an hour? Phil is coming to relieve me then but I have this date and the chick doesn't want to ride my bike because of her hair or something. Anyways, I was kind of hoping I could borrow one from the garage but I'm short on time." Rat was rambling but Kelly thought it was kind of cute. He was obviously excited about his date and she was glad to see him happy.

"So, first, I need you to breathe. Second, I'm not planning on going anywhere until in the morning. How about you take my car and stop by your place and take a shower first? No offense but you smell like oil and sweat." Kelly said as he lifted his shirt to his nose. It was a scorcher outside and he'd stayed out on the front or back porch for most the day, despite her invitations for him to come inside.

"Your Audi? You sure about that, Kelly? I don't want to impose." Rat said, swallowing hard. Kelly shook her head and picked up the keys from the counter, tossing them right at him.

"Yeah, I'm sure. If there's some emergency, I can just drive Happy's truck." Kelly said with a shrug. Rat looked down at the keys in his hand and thought a minute before finally nodding his head. "Go ahead and go. Phil will be here soon enough. I'm not as fragile as Happy wants everyone to think."

"Nah, we know you aren't fragile. We're the ones that would get broken if anything happens to you while he's gone. Thanks for this, Kelly. I'll put gas in it and everything." Rat said, stepping towards her like he was going to hug her until he thought the wiser.

"That's fine. Just don't wreck it or fuck in it." Kelly said with a laugh. She sat back down on the kitchen floor where she was packing away pans they didn't use often into a large moving box. She heard the front door close behind Rat before the lock slid into place. She smirked, amused at how he'd just reflexively used her house key.

 **Tacoma WA, 2003**

Kelly groaned at the creaking of her worn out Toyota Camry's car door, protesting her attempt to close it. It was a good car if you didn't need something reliable. When it did work, it worked well, you just couldn't count on that happening when you went outside to start it up.

"Told you to let me look at that, girl." Kelly let the blush in her cheeks fade before turning around and looking at Happy with a subdued smile. She was still a little angry with him for what had happened at the rally a few weeks ago. That didn't stop her from being completely turned on every time she thought about his dark brown eyes or full lips.

"It's fine. It just creaks when it's hot outside. Is my brother here?" She didn't want to let him know that she knew he wasn't there. She wanted it to look like she'd come to the clubhouse for any other reason than to see him. He raised his brow, wondering why Kozik wouldn't have told her that he had gone down to California for a few days.

"No." He kept his answer simple, refusing to let her know that it was bumming him out that she hadn't come to see him. She still hadn't warmed back up to him since the rally. When she'd gotten to the clubhouse that night, the sweet butt had mouthed off about already finishing the job. Happy had wanted to choke the mouthy bitch.

"Oh, uh, okay." Kelly realized that she hadn't really thought her plan through past the point of asking for Herman. She looked anywhere but in his eyes, knowing he'd see right through her if they made eye contact. "I was kind of hoping he'd be able to look at my plumbing, uh, my sink is leaking. The maintenance guy isn't available until Monday."

Kelly was kicking herself for making up such a lame excuse. She'd seen the smirk on his lips when she said plumbing and then realized that she lived in an apartment where they were responsible for repairs. She couldn't believe she had just said that.

"Is it coming from the sink or the pipe?" Happy asked, knowing she was full of shit. Herman was about as useful around the house as a monkey without thumbs. He watched Kelly pull her lip in and wanted to pull it right back out and into his own mouth. They'd kissed a few times, making out before the rally, but he'd yet to make it past that. It wasn't for lack of want, he just didn't chase women and she wasn't the type to throw herself at him right off the bat.

"Uh, the pipe. I think. I'm not sure." Kelly had a feeling he was calling her out on her bluff, but she wasn't ready to admit she'd come to the clubhouse just to see him yet.

"I'll come look at it if you ride with me." Happy offered. He saw her blue eyes look around him and over to his bike. She hadn't been back on it since the rally.

"Fine." Kelly said, trying to sound perturbed. She'd wanted to ride on his bike again, even if he did like to drive a little fast. She loved sitting behind him with the raw power of his motorcycle vibrating beneath her. Without a word, she brushed past him and walked to his bike. He smirked and followed her over, handing her the helmet off his handlebars.

Once they'd made it to her apartment building, Kelly couldn't deny the primal attraction she had for Happy. She waited until they were on her floor before grabbing the front of his cut and yanking him down towards her. Their lips crashed together and their hands were all over each other, exploring the other like it was going out of style. Kelly fumbled with her keys as Happy pressed her back to her apartment door.

"Here, you do it." She handed the keys to him before kissing him again. She could already feel her lips swelling a little from his beard stubble and the friction of their kiss. Happy tried a couple keys, wondering why she needed so many on the damn key ring at all he finally got frustrated and yanked her away from the door. "What?"

Kelly barely spoke the word before Happy kicked her door in. She narrowed her eyes at him as he dropped her keys back in her hand. To avoid the eyes of her neighbors, she followed him in quickly. There was no question as to whether the door would need to be replaced or not.

"I'll pay for it." Happy said, closing it behind them and then pushing her towards the couch. She was going to object and fuss about the door, but she realized she cared more about getting laid than the stupid door. Kelly was a little nervous, having overheard gossip about his size and how rough he was. She tried not to think about how many women he'd been with before her.

Happy had never been buried inside a woman tighter than Kelly, even virgins. He hated the rubber condom between them, but knew there was no way of talking her out of it. Regardless, she still felt amazing and he knew he was fucked. He didn't see himself ever getting tired of her. He felt her moan as she bit his neck.

"You owe me for the door." Kelly said as she walked out of the bathroom. Happy nodded and walked over to her, resting his hands on her hips.

"I think that was worth it." Happy said, wanting her again already. She smirked and looked at the wreck they'd made of her sheets.

"Yeah, I think so." She blushed and Happy kissed her. It was gentle at first, but eventually it got deeper and deeper. Before long, they were going for round two, then three and finally four before they passed out in her bed. Happy never cuddled, he absolutely hated it, at least he always had before. With Kelly's back against his chest and his arm over her waist, he was completely comfortable.

Kozik pulled onto the clubhouse parking lot and saw Kelly's Camry. He wondered what she was doing there at four in the morning and panic started to set in. She was his little sister. Surely someone would have called him if something happened, he thought. He rushed inside, hoping someone knew where she was.

"Chill, brother. Killah left outta here a few hours ago with Kelly on the back." Lorca said, sensing the panic in Kozik's voice. The blonde man paused in his place and looked at his watch.

"It's four in the morning." He said, thinking out loud. Lorca looked at his own watch and then the bottle of whiskey in front of him.

"Damn. Maybe it was more like twelve hours ago. Lee just talked to him at two though. He checked in and said he'd be back in the morning. Something about a leaky drain." Lorca noticed how the floor seemed to start spinning when he woke up. Kozik laughed, knowing that this was probably the start of something between his little bird and the killer. It was a long time coming, he just didn't want to see her hurt.

 **Present Day**

Kelly rubbed her eyes, tired from the overtime she'd worked the night before as well as the packing. She was staying busy so she wouldn't worry about what kind of danger Happy and the guys were in. With a yawn, she used the counter to pull herself up out of the floor and headed to the bedroom, locking herself in just in case Phil tried to walk in for some reason. She stripped out of her clothes and put on one of Happy's t-shirts before climbing into the bed.

Tom started to think the scrawny biker wasn't going to come back with Kelly's car. He'd had a shit eating grin on his face when he'd walked outside and gotten into her car. It didn't fit the pattern he'd been keeping track of. Normally, the scrawny one wouldn't leave until the big one with glasses got there. The only time one of them weren't there was when Kelly was at work.

He jotted down the discrepancy in the pattern in his notebook before starting to worry. It dawned on him that the scrawny one may have stolen Kelly's car. He had keys though. What if he had hurt her to get the keys, or worse. Tom checked his watch. If the patterned wasn't completely out the window, the big guy wasn't due for another forty minutes. If she was hurt, she could easily bleed out by then.

Tom didn't bother trying the front door. He'd seen the scrawny one lock the door with Kelly's keys. He assumed the back door was probably locked as well. The only door he'd never tried was the garage door. It was a long shot, but he had to get inside to check on her. He tried it and frowned when it didn't budge. There was a keypad on the right.

"Think, Tommy. Think." He whispered under his breath. He looked back towards the street to see the mailbox number and tried that first. The garage door didn't budge. He tried to remember what her thug of a boyfriend's plate number was on his motorcycle. After trying a few other, obvious numbers like the year and zip code, he was starting to get frustrated. That's when it hit him. He took a deep breath and held it in while punching in Kelly's birthday.

"You son of a bitch." He muttered. He knew Kelly and Happy Lowman had been together before he started dating her, but she always said he dumped her. Obviously, he loved her enough to use her birthday as a garage code in a house hundreds of miles away. He started getting angry, wondering if she'd seen him while they were married.

Being inside the house Kelly was living in was surreal to Tom. He'd been watching from a distance for so long, that just walking inside the kitchen gave him a rush. He looked at the packing box and wondered how much longer it was going to be before they moved. He'd seen her unloading the packing boxes from her car, refusing the help of the scrawny biker.

"Kelly." Tom whispered as he tried the door he knew had to lead to their bedroom. He knew the layout of the house, even if he'd yet to been inside before. She had locked the bedroom door. "The scrawny one could have done it though. Lock her in so she couldn't call for help."

Tom pulled out a grocery store loyalty card and popped the door lock silently. He froze for a moment when he saw her lying in a large bed with deep red sheets. There were no obvious signs of injury, but he couldn't be sure without getting closer. So, he moved towards the bed as silently as humanly possible.

"Oh, Kels." Tom said under his breath. He watched her chest rise and fall as she breathed. She had never looked so perfect. There were no injuries of any kind that he could see. He held his chin, wondering what she was dreaming about. Tom was standing right beside her hand that was draped over the bedside. He stared at it for a minute before slowly reaching down and brushing her palm with his fingertips.

"Mmmm, Happy." Kelly mumbled with a smile. Tom jerked his hand back and clenched it in a tight fist. He hated hearing another man's name coming from her mouth. She had fucking smiled in her sleep. He was overcome with jealousy and rage as she lay there sleeping with a smile on her face.

"If I can't have you, no one can." Tom whispered as he leaned over her, his hands in a u-shape as they lowered down closer and closer to her neck. He was almost touching her. He could feel the heat radiating off of her skin. "Shit."

Tom jerked away from her as he heard a motorcycle approaching from the distance. As harmless as the larger man appeared, he still carried a gun and an unhealthy loyalty to the motorcycle club that Kelly was connected to. Tom left the room quickly, hurrying out of the back door to make sure he wasn't seen leaving the house. He got back in his car a few houses down as the larger biker pulled into the driveway. Tom didn't like how close he'd come to getting caught. He decided he'd have to be more careful next time.

Inside, Kelly woke up to see the bedroom door wide open. She knew for a fact that she had not only closed it, but locked it as well. There had never been any problems with Rat or Phil keeping an eye on her while Happy was gone. Neither of them had ever come into their bedroom before. She just couldn't see any other explanation for the bedroom door being opened while she was sleeping.

"Hey Kelly!" Phil said, closing the refrigerator as she walked into the kitchen. She was wearing one of Happy's t-shirts and a pair of leggings. He darted his eyes away from her, hoping she didn't realize that he was checking her out. Phil wondered how he was supposed to resist looking. Kelly was the prettiest woman he'd ever seen.

"Uh, hey." Kelly said, uncomfortable and regretting slipping on leggings under Happy's dress like shirt. She saw Phil purposely look away like he was guilty of something. "Do you know when Happy is getting home?"

"Jax said they should be here late tonight. You haven't talked to Hap?" Phil asked around his mouth full of ham sandwich. Kelly shook her head. She didn't like to ask him when he'd be home because if he was late, it only made her worry more. When they talked before she went to sleep, they'd just talked about normal stuff, as if he was at a regular desk job instead of travelling back from a potentially dangerous motorcycle run.

"I'm going to finish packing this stuff. You can watch the game in the living room, if you want." She was nervous about sounding too pushy. She had thought she knew Phil, or at least what kind of person he was. Now, she wasn't too sure about that. He nodded and gave her a big smile before carrying his sandwich into the living room and settling down on the couch. Kelly pulled out her phone and sent Happy a quick message, asking him to come home as soon as he could.

Happy checked his phone at the stop light and snapped it closed quickly. They were still about three hours outside of Charming and something was obviously going on at home. He stood up on his pegs as they got back up to speed. His back was tight and sore after being on the road for days and sleeping on the ground. It was a successful trip, compared to other recent runs, but it had taken its toll by wearing everyone out.

"We having church tonight or tomorrow?" Happy asked as the last brother turned their bike off in the clubhouse parking lot. Jax yawned and shook his head.

"Tomorrow, brother. Not in the morning either. Everybody go get some rest." Jax said, giving Happy a quick hug. Happy didn't have to be told twice. He headed straight for his bike, ready to get home and see what was going on with his girl.

From the outside, everything looked normal. Her car was in the driveway and Phil's bike was out on the street. Most of the lights in the house were off, which didn't surprise him since it was well after midnight. He pulled his bike into the garage and headed inside without hesitation.

"Go home." Happy said flatly to Phil who was standing and straightening his leather cut. Happy could tell that he'd probably been napping before he pulled into the driveway. He wasn't really concerned about that though. He was worried about whatever had driven Kelly to request him home asap. Phil took a hint and left quickly as Happy headed down the hall to their bedroom.

"What are you doing, girl?" Happy walked in to find the lights out and Kelly sitting up in bed, her legs crossed underneath her. She had been braiding her hair, a nervous habit she picked up when she was little and had to be quiet when their father was drunk and angry.

"I missed you." Kelly said, looking over at him and feeling safer and calmer immediately. After Rat dropped her car off, she'd gotten more and more nervous about being alone with Phil.

"Same to you. What was the text about? What's wrong?" Happy could see through the light of the moon pouring in through the window that she didn't seem harmed or injured. Phil hadn't mentioned anything when he'd come in and Rat hadn't said anything when he'd greeted everyone back at the clubhouse.

"You have to promise not to freak out, okay?" Kelly twisted her mouth when he scowled and folded his arms over his chest.

"No. I'm not promising shit." Happy said, his need to know growing by the second. It wasn't usually like Kelly to preface shit with a request for him not to freak out. He started to wonder if she was about to tell him she was knocked up again or something. She was on the shot but he was trying to remember he'd last given it to her.

"So, I closed and locked the bedroom door when I took a nap earlier. You know, cause I don't sleep in anything but your shirt when you aren't here." She paused and knew she'd better hurry up by the scowl on Happy's face. "So, I woke up and the door was wide open."

"What?" Happy growled, ready to break bones and draw blood. He looked over at the door like it was going to tell him what happened. "Who was here, Kelly?"

"Phil." Kelly felt horrible about sealing the man's fate but she was upset. She couldn't handle feeling unsafe in her own home. It wasn't right to break into someone's bedroom and watch them sleep. She started wondering what else had happened while she was sleeping.

"You're telling me that son of a bitch was in our room while you were sleeping? He broke into my fucking bedroom to watch you?" Happy was on his feet, pacing the room and trying to decide if he wanted to start out by ripping his nails out one by one or burning him with a cigarette first.

"I don't know, Happy! I was asleep. I just know I locked the door before I went to sleep and when I woke up it was wide open. Maybe he was worried I wasn't here." Kelly mused, thinking it slightly plausible. Rat had her car so he could have been checking to make sure she was there and simply forgot to close the door back.

"Why the fuck would he think you weren't here? He couldn't fucking knock and wake your ass up?" Happy walked over to the door and ran his thumb over the lock, wondering how the dumb prospect even picked the lock without making a lot of noise and waking her up. He looked around, just thinking. He saw a card lying on the ground a few inches into the room. "Son of a bitch. I'm going to kill him."

Happy slid the card into his cut pocket after flashing it at Kelly. It was the quietest way to get into a door that wasn't bolted or framed to prevent it. He had everything he needed to go to Jax and get the greenlight to kill the prospect. If he had broken in and watched her sleep, he could have done anything. She was small compared to Happy but compared to Phil, she was tiny. There would have been no way she could fight him off.

"You telling me everything, girl? You didn't wake up with him on you or some shit like that?" Happy relaxed a little when she looked shocked by his questions.

"What? No!" Kelly said, almost wishing she hadn't said anything at all. Happy nodded and turned towards the door. "Hap, really? Please don't leave. He doesn't know I know. I don't want to be alone."

"Alright, angel, alright." Happy said after a minute. He was tired and he'd missed his woman. He was granting the son of a bitch a few more hours of life for not going beyond looking. Had he touched Kelly, there would have been no stopping the swift and merciless action. "I'm here."

"I know." Kelly whispered before Happy kissed her softly. He wanted nothing more than to make her feel safe and loved. His actions were slow and smooth, claiming what was his and giving himself to her at the same time. Their fingers were interlocked as he made love to her. It wasn't their normal style of choice, but it was exactly what Kelly needed.

WOW! Thank you all so much for your reviews! It really helped inspire me to bang this chapter out and get it posted tonight. With that being said, I apologize for any typos as I proofread really really fast. Happy New Year to everyone!

As always, I don't own any part of Sons of Anarchy and this work is for entertainment purposes only.


	11. Chapter 11

Happy woke up and found himself alone in bed. He ran his hand over the spot where Kelly slept and felt that the sheets were still warm. He listened closely and heard her moving around in the kitchen. He heard the mixer going and wondered what she was up to.

"Girl, what are you doing?" The kitchen was half in boxes and half scattered around on the counter. Kelly had flour up her arms and a swipe of it on her forehead.

"Baking. I couldn't decide if I wanted blueberry or orange and cranberry muffins. I made both." She shrugged and Happy took a deep breath. This was her tell, the way he could always tell that was something was bothering her. He grabbed one of the blueberry muffins and took a bite.

"What's bothering you, angel? You don't bake like this for the hell of it." Happy said after swallowing down the muffin. He always loved her baking.

"I'm worried about Phil. I know what you're probably planning and it bothers me. Do you think you could talk to him first, without beating him?" She was nervous to ask him, thinking he may get the wrong impression. He certainly wasn't happy to hear her bring it up or question him, but he hated to see her worry.

"Talk to him about what, Kelly? About how you sleep with one arm around your waist and the other stretched out unless I'm with you? No. He crossed too many lines." Happy said, shaking his head. Kelly frowned and turned back to the oven. Happy ran his hand across the back of her neck and kissed the side of her head. "I'll try to come by for your lunch break."

"Okay. Just, just be careful, Happy." Kelly opened the oven and pulled her last batch of muffins out of the oven as Happy walked out of the house. She felt guilty for telling Happy about what happened. She tried to tell herself it was the right thing to do, considering how much worse the situation could have been, but she still felt like she had signed his fate.

Happy sat outside the clubhouse on one of the three picnic tables, waiting for Jax to show up. He had a cigarette between his lips and the card that had been used to break into his bedroom in the other. Just the thought of someone watching Kelly sleep made his skin crawl. That was his woman and his late brother's sister, beyond that she was a good person that didn't deserve to be treated like that. Happy didn't have to look up to know that it was Jax's bike that was pulling onto the lot, he recognized the exhaust notes of most of the bikes, each one unique.

"Morning." Jax said, nodding to Happy as he took his helmet off. Happy stood up, sliding the card back in his cut pocket. Jax raised his brow. "Something up?"

"Yeah. Let's talk inside." Happy said, not comfortable discussing the situation outside where anyone could hear. Jax didn't hesitate to lead Happy into the chapel, closing the doors behind him. Happy sat down in his seat, trying to gather some sort of calm. "Filthy Phil broke into my bedroom while Kelly was asleep."

"What? Is she okay?" Jax was back up to his feet, wide awake and no longer needing coffee. He could see Happy's neck muscles tensing as his fists clenched.

"Yeah, she's alright. Didn't touch her that she knows of. Bastard probably stood there watching her and…" Happy slammed his fist into the table and pushed away, knocking his chair down as he sprang to his feet. "He's dead, Jax."

"Alright, hold on, Hap. I gotta believe he had a reason to go in there. We can't jump to the worst." Jax knew that he was putting himself in the line of fire for trying to give the prospect the benefit of the doubt. "She sure she locked the door? I'm not saying she'd lying. She works a lot of overtime, she could have been tired and thought she closed and locked it."

"She locked the door. She don't sleep in anything but my shirts when I'm gone." Happy didn't like sharing personal details with anyone, but it was the main reason she locked the door. Jax nodded and started pacing the room, racking his brain for an explanation.

There was a knock on the door and Jax stopped pacing, eyeing Happy like he was a ticking time bomb. He approached the door slowly, hoping like hell that it wasn't Phil on the other side of the door. Luckily, it was Rat. Jax breathed a sigh of relief and wondered if the young man had any insight on what happened.

"Come in here, Rat." Jax closed the door after the prospect took a few steps inside. Rat looked over to see a rapturous looking Happy and swallowed hard. "You were with Kelly before Phil got there last night, right?"

"Uh, yeah, I got there about an hour before she got off work. Is she okay?" Rat asked, hoping nothing had happened while he was gone. He was kicking himself for leaving early, the sloppy sex wasn't even that good.

"Was she asleep when Phil relieved you?" Jax asked, ignoring Rat's question. Happy was fuming, sitting back in his seat to try and resist strangling someone.

"Well, I don't really know. She was awake when I left." Rat knew there was no use hiding what he'd done, especially if it could help Kelly. "I left an hour before Phil was supposed to be there."

"Why?" Happy growled, narrowing his eyes at the prospect. Jax was pissed to. Prospects were given tasks and knew to clear any change to schedules with whoever gave them that task. In this case, it was Happy.

"I had a date. I ran it by Kelly, she said she wasn't going anywhere and let me borrow her car. I left an hour early. What happened? Is she okay?" Rat asked again, now panicking that something had happened. Phil hadn't mentioned anything but he had been pretty tired when he got in last night. Rat pressed his back against the wall as Happy advanced on him.

"You ran it by Kelly? You prospecting for her or this club?" Happy growled, shoving the man into the wall. Rat swallowed hard, wishing he'd just skipped the damn date or shown up late.

"The club. Look, I'm sorry man! Is she okay or not?" Happy heard Rat's voice crack and dropped his forearm from the prospect's chest.

"She's okay. Go on." Happy said, stepping away from him. Jax was surprised to see Rat get at least a temporary pardon. He realized that Happy was out for blood, but not just anyone's.

"Alright, this has got to go to the table, brother. You're sure it was Phil?" Jax asked, feeling deflated. He'd had hopes for the prospect. Happy took the grocery card out of his pocket and dropped it on the table.

"Who the hell else pops door with grocery cards." Happy growled, wondering if it would make a good shiv. He liked the poetic justice in the tool of the crime being the weapon that killed the man. Jax picked the card up and turned it over in his hands. Happy noticed a strange expression on Jax's face. "What?"

"This isn't a store in the Bay Area, Hap. Phil's lived within twenty miles of Charming his whole life." Jax said, pushing the card back over to Happy. Happy picked the card up and took another look at it. Jax was right. That particular store was a small chain. A chain he'd never seen outside of Tacoma. "Where are you going?"

Happy had bolted out of the chapel without a word, hyper focused on getting to Kelly. Jax was on his heels and Rat dropped his mug in the sink and rushed out after them. Happy had to get to Kelly. She should be at the hospital by now and she normally texted him when she got there. He felt like there was an elephant sitting on his chest.

"Hey!" TIg yelled as the three bikes tore out of the lot, nearly causing him to lay his own bike over. He restarted it and hurried after them, knowing something serious was going on.

Happy slid his bike to a stop and hurried into the hospital, relieved to see her car there but not yet relaxing until he laid eyes on her. He shoved past a security guard who was asking them all to stop. Tig shoved by him also, bringing up the rear behind Jax and Rat. Happy was throwing hospital room doors open, looking in every one for Kelly.

"Can I help you?" Happy recognized Dr. Cooke and walked over to him, causing the younger man to take a defensive step back.

"Where's Kelly?" Happy asked, scanning the halls for her. The doctor swallowed hard and looked from Happy to the other three men that had come into the hospital with him.

"I don't know. She hasn't come in yet. She's normally on time. We were just about to call her." Happy threw a fist into the wall beside Dr. Cooke's head angrily. He knew why she wasn't there, he just didn't know why he couldn't have figured it out in time.

"It wasn't Phil in our house yesterday." Happy explained as he stormed back out to the parking lot. Jax was practically jogging to keep up with him. "It was her fucking ex-husband."

Jax stood by as Happy smashed the window out of Kelly's Audi, ignoring the blaring alarm. He leaned into the car, bracing himself with a hand on the steering wheel. He grabbed her phone and bag from the passenger seat before pulling his hand back to see blood all over it. The steering wheel was covered in what he could only assume was Kelly's blood. He felt sick.

"Tig, call Juice and have him start running a trace on the bastard's credit cards. Rat, go inside and see if anyone saw anything this morning." Jax said, shifting into President mode immediately. Happy opened Kelly's phone and started going through the messages and calls, looking for anything that may give him a clue as to where she could be. He hoped that she would have told him if she knew Tom was in town.

"My house." Happy said quickly before slamming the car door, sending glass crashing into the seat and out onto the ground. Jax jogged over to his bike, Tig a few paces behind him, yelling into his phone. Happy had a gut feeling that the son of a bitch would take her there to add insult to injury. He had Kelly's phone in his pocket, just hoping he wasn't too late. He was hitting seventy in the straightaways and dragging his foot pegs in the turns. Jax and Tig were right behind him.

Happy locked up his back brake and skidded to a stop, barely taking the time to kick the stand down. There was a black Honda Civic in his driveway with Washington plates. Jax and Tig both drew their guns as they followed Happy through the front door. Happy headed straight for their bedroom.

"Get off her, now!" Happy dove at the man that was positioned over Kelly she was turning blue from the choke hold Tom had on her. She gasped for air as Happy wrestled with Tom on the ground. She didn't bother caring that she was almost naked with Tig and Jax in the room. She reached down between the mattress and the wall and pulled a Glock that Happy kept there.

Everyone's ears started ringing as Kelly fired one shot after another, emptying the clip. Happy let loose of Tom's shirt and he crumpled down into the floor, riddled with bullet holes. Kelly dropped the gun and ran to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her as she fell in front of the toilet. Happy grimaced at the noises coming from the bathroom as his hearing returned to normal.

"Hey, I'll take care of this. You go take care of your girl." Tig said, motioning towards the bathroom. Happy looked at the body at his feet and nodded.

"Kelly." Happy choked as he found her in the floor of the shower, shaking and covered in blood. She was sobbing into her hands and making herself as small as possible. "Come on, angel. It's just me."

"Happy." She sobbed and the blood seemed to pour from the cut in her head even faster. He frowned and stepped into the shower with her. Had the water been on, he was sure she would have drowned by then.

"We've got to get the bleeding stopped, baby. Jax is calling Tara." Happy couldn't bring himself to ask her how far the corpse in the next room had gotten with her. She was naked except the lace panties that she'd always worn for him. He felt bile rising up in his throat and closed his eyes, pulling her against his chest carefully.

There was a soft knock at the bathroom door and Happy slowly left Kelly's side. She held a rag against her head and was now wearing Happy's blood soaked t-shirt. Tara walked in quietly, her bottom lip quivering a little. Happy closed the door behind her after taking a look at the progress of clean up. The body was gone and Phil and Rat were scrubbing the hardwood floor with rags and what smelled like a bleach mixer.

"Let's get you stitched up and then we can check you out, okay?" Tara asked, squeezing Kelly's hand. She nodded and stepped out of the shower. Tara led her over to the commode and closed the lid so Kelly could take a seat. Happy could see her legs shaking and wished he could kill the bastard all over again. Kelly wouldn't make eye contact with Happy, fearing that he'd see the truth in her eyes. "Happy, would you mind going out to my car and grabbing the red bag in my front seat. I thought I had needles in this one."

"Yeah." Happy needed to get out of the bathroom to clear his head. He hated himself for not protecting her like he should have. He should have paid more attention, been more alert. He let himself get comfortable in their new life and let his guard down. He felt like he failed Kelly, something he promised he'd never do again.

"Here." Happy said, handing the bag off to Tara before closing the door again. Clean up was well on the way but he still didn't want anyone to see Kelly or for her to see what mess was left. He leaned against the wall and watched as Tara carefully sewed Kelly's forehead up.

"Happy." Kelly choked out, looking at Tara for some moral support. They'd gotten a chance to talk while Happy got the bag out of the car and Kelly knew what she had to do. She felt tears start rolling down her cheeks even faster. Happy nodded and pulled her cellphone out of his pocket.

"I already know, angel." Happy said softly. Their eyes met briefly before Kelly started crying harder. Happy took a deep breath, unsure of the right words to say. He pushed away from the wall and squatted down in front of her. "Look at me. It's going to be okay. I'm not going anywhere. I'm not losing you again."

"This wasn't your fault, Happy." Kelly could hear the guilt in his voice and it nearly broke her heart. She could get over what had happened, both physically and emotionally but she needed him by her side. She needed him to be her rock that he always had been.

"I should have noticed it or been around more." Happy looked up into her blue eyes and saw the concern. He knew that look wasn't about what she'd just gone through, but for him. He kissed her lips gently. "How far along are you?"

"Just about four weeks." Kelly said, feeling her cheeks turn pink. Happy nodded and kissed her again. "I didn't want to say anything until I knew I wasn't going to lose it."

"Kelly, you don't have to keep stuff from me, okay? Whatever happens, I'm right here." Happy brushed her hair out of her eyes carefully and kissed her deeply, neither of them seeming to remember that Tara was there for a moment. "Did he?"

"No. Almost but no." Kelly said, running her palm over his cheek. He nodded and stood up slowly.

"Let Tara finish stitching you up, girl. I'm going to make sure these idiots know how to clean." Happy said, kissing the top of her head. Kelly nodded, knowing that he needed some time alone to process everything that had happened. She gave Tara a small smile.

"I guess we're going to try and have a baby then." Kelly didn't understand how she could smile after everything that had happened in the last few hours, but she did. Killing someone hadn't exactly sunk in yet, she knew that but she wasn't going to deny herself a little happiness before it did.

This is shorter than I usually like to post, but it was a stopping point that made sense before the next chapter. Expect that within the week. Let me know what you think. :) Thank you again for all the new reviews, follows and favs, please don't stop :)


	12. Chapter 12

Happy watched as Kelly stared at her hands. She looked at the backs and the slowly turned them over to look at her palms. With little protest, Kelly had agreed to take a few days off from the hospital to recover from her attack. Happy had also gotten the okay from Jax to stay with Kelly so long as nothing major came up. She balled her hands into fists and frowned.

"What are you thinking about over there, girl?" Happy put his coffee mug down and leaned back in the chair. Kelly was across the kitchen table from him but seemed a million miles away. After a moment, she looked up from her hands.

"I've lost patients before. Some of their deaths bothered me and some didn't, but I always did my best to make them comfortable or make them better." She held her hands up for him to see, as if the metaphorical blood on them was visible. "I killed someone, on purpose. Someone I used to love."

"There's a big difference between killing someone and protecting yourself, Kelly. You did what you had to do." Happy stopped talking as tears swelled in her eyes and she slowly moved her head side to side.

"He was already off me, Happy. I was safe. You were there with half the club, there's no way he was going to get near me again. I killed him. We could have called the police and done things the right way. I murdered him." Kelly's voice faded farther and farther as she spoke.

"The right way, Kelly? If we would have called the cops, they would have taken him in, booked him and then let him out on bail until the trial. The trial would have been full of his cop buddies that would have said he was a great person, blah blah blah. The way yesterday went down may not have been the most legal way, but it sure as hell wasn't wrong. You aren't a murderer or any of the other negative shit that's going through your head." Happy was frustrated that he wasn't getting through to her. He felt like she'd been out of the club life too long. The Kelly he knew years ago never would have considered calling the cops, but he couldn't say that to her. She'd take it the wrong way.

"I don't want this to come between us, Happy." Kelly said softly. Happy put his head in his hands, already exhausted from the conversation. Kelly frowned and wondered what he really thought of her.

"There's nothing about this that would come between us besides you being hung up on it, girl. You need to either forgive yourself or forget about it. No one blames you for killing that son of a bitch. If you hadn't done it, I would have and my way would have been a lot slower and a lot more painful." Happy said, wishing he could have taught him a lesson before killing him.

"I'm going to start packing the living room." Kelly said, moving away from the table slowly. Happy picked up his mug and took a drink, letting her know that he was giving her the space she needed. She attempted a small half smile to thank him, but it came off as more of a twitch.

Happy had no clue how to make her feel better about killing her ex-husband. His first kill had been after a bar fight. The guy pulled a knife on him and Happy managed to get it from him and stab it right through his skull. He didn't feel any remorse or guilt about it. It was he or the other guy, only one of them were going to make it out of the alleyway outside the bar. Happy didn't feel bad for making sure his mother didn't have to bury her own son.

He finished his coffee and poured out the tea that Kelly had barely touched before heading out to his garage. He needed something else to focus on, something that he could actually fix. Happy tore down his spare bike's engine and started cleaning it, piece by piece.

Kelly heard Happy go out to the garage and start working on the bike he kept as back up. At one point, it had been his everyday bike. They had shared many hours on the road on the bike back in Tacoma. She wondered if he really kept it out of practicality or sentiment. Most would argue the former, but Kelly knew him better than most.

She opened the drawer to the coffee table and started making two piles, keep and throw away. Happy was a fairly clean and organized person, so the trash pile was considerably smaller. There were manuals for different appliances around the house, some take out menus and a deck of cards. It wasn't until she got to the bottom of the drawer that she found anything out of the ordinary.

Kelly turned the worn looking envelope over in her hands. She hesitated to open it, wondering what she would find and feeling guilty for nosing through his things. She decided to take a peek without taking the contents out. Just a quick peek. Her heart nearly stopped as she looked at the ultrasound image. She recognized it immediately and poured the contents of the envelope out on the table.

It was one memory after another. There were six ultrasound prints, several pictures of she and Happy together and quite a few more of just Kelly. She watched her hand tremble as she picked up a picture of the two of them in Vegas. They were both smiling and seemed so young.

 **Vegas August 2004**

Kelly had to be the worst card player in Las Vegas. She would take another card when she needed to stay or fold when she had a great hand, the absolute worst. Happy didn't care though, not to say he like watching her lose money, but he liked seeing her have fun. Things had been heavy with the club for the past few months and she'd had to put up with a lot of late nights and washing blood out of his and Kozik's clothes.

"I think I'm broke." Kelly said as they walked out of the Gold Rush casino. Happy laughed and nodded his head, glad she'd only brought a few hundred dollars with her to gamble. They walked down the strip towards their hotel, his arm around her bare shoulders as she leaned into his side. He loved having her on his arm, especially in the white, lacy shirt and flared jeans she was wearing.

Kelly never dressed like the other old ladies or sweet butts. They normally stuck to dark colors and skin tight materials, but not Kelly. She had the kind of looks that didn't need all the extra effort. She would wear t-shirts and jeans on any given day, only switching it up with a dress or sexy shirt for special occasions. No matter what she wore, Happy struggled to keep his eyes off her.

"Hey! Will you take our picture?" Kelly offered her disposable camera to an older, pot bellied man with a long white beard and a Harley Davidson t-shirt. He looked the couple over before nodding and taking the camera. Happy hated pictures but Kelly's happiness was contagious, so he smiled as he looked down at her smiling up at him. The man snapped the picture and handed the camera back to Kelly. He nodded to Happy with respect.

"Congratulations, you two make a fine couple." He said before turning to walk away. Happy and Kelly both raised their brows, wondering why he thought they needed congratulating. It wasn't until Kelly turned around to see that they were standing outside a wedding chapel that she fully understood. She giggled and Happy turned towards her.

"What?" He asked, irritated that he was the only one out of the loop. She smiled and pointed at the small, white building. He smirked and lifted his shoulder. "Might as well."

"Shut up." Kelly said rolling her eyes. Happy raised his brow and she felt her heart skip a beat. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, angel, I am." Happy said, realizing that he really was. He'd mentioned it as a joke but the longer they stood outside that chapel, the more he wanted to marry her. She already had his ink for the past six months and he didn't have plans of ever letting her go. He watched as her expression shifted from that of shock to excitement.

They headed inside together, not giving the plan any second thought or reconsideration. Happy and Kelly were filling out paperwork and the woman who'd greeted them was going to grab the Elvis look alike that would marry them. The energy in the air between Happy and Kelly was palpable. Happy had just signed his name when his phone started vibrating in his pocket.

"I'll be right back." He said to Kelly, kissing her cheek. She smiled and signed her name, setting both clipboards on the counter as Happy stepped outside. As the minutes went by, she started to realize that their vacation was coming to an abrupt end. "I'm sorry, angel, we've got to get back to Tacoma. How fast can you do this?"

"Elvis is on a quick lunch break but he should be back in about an hour." The cheery woman said, looking up from the paperwork they'd turned in. Kelly read the look on Happy's face and nodded.

"We'll have to take a rain check, we've had a family emergency back home." Kelly said, feeling deflated. The woman behind the desk frowned and tore the papers from the clip boards and stuffed them in a shredder. Once she realized they weren't going to make any money off Kelly and Happy, her cheery demeanor vanished and she pointed towards the door.

Getting married wasn't mentioned again after that. They didn't need a piece of paper to keep them together. Kelly kept the picture on their dresser and they would joke about it every now and then. No one else ever knew about their almost marriage, not even her big brother.

 **Present Day**

"Kozik would have killed me if we would have eloped that day." Happy said, startling Kelly. He sat down on the floor next to her and looked at the picture. It was one of his favorite.

"Nah, he would have been fine as long as we gave him a cupcake or something. He hated weddings. He only went for the cake and free beer." Kelly said with a laugh. Happy nodded, thinking that sounded about right. "You kept these?"

"Yeah. I thought about burning them once or twice but then I'd look at them and put them back in the drawer." Happy said, remembering a drunken night where he'd had a lit zippo inches from the envelope before throwing it across the room and catching a shirt on fire. Nothing sobers you up quicker than almost burning the clubhouse down.

"I'm sorry about earlier." Kelly said softly. Happy shook his head and kissed her gently. She deepened the kiss, begging him for more. He wasn't one to turn her down. Happy pushed the coffee table out of the way and guided Kelly down so she was lying on the rug. He pulled back for a minute, just to look at her. Her cheeks turned pink and he smirked, loving the effect he had on her.

Kelly moaned into Happy's mouth as he kissed her possessively. His hand was making its way into her jeans and she could feel his erection against her stomach. She bit his bottom lip as his fingers found their destination. He pulled his lip free and ran his tongue over her teeth marks, tasting the familiar metallic of blood.

"I want you, Happy." Kelly panted as he worked her with his hand and kissed sensitive places on her neck. He nipped the flesh over her rapidly pulsing vein and she hissed. "Please."

"I know, girl. You can wait." Happy growled, determined to make her come before he fucked her. She whimpered and he knew it wouldn't be much longer. He could feel her getting wetter and wetter. Happy was acutely aware of the way she stopped breathing and rolled her head back just before she tumbled over the edge. He slowed his hand as she tightened around his fingers and breathed in staccato.

"Fuck." Kelly drawled out as her body recovered from the high. Happy was on his feet, ridding himself of his jeans and underwear. Kelly shook her head, pointing to his shirt as well. Happy yanked it off and she smiled. "Now will you fuck me?"

"That ain't even a question." He rasped, picking her up and gently tossing her on the couch. She smirked and moved her hair over one shoulder, giving him access to her neck if he wanted it. Kelly knew what he liked. "You're beautiful, baby."

They laid on the couch, sweaty and spent after he'd given her everything she wanted and more. His head was on her chest and she was absent mindedly stroking his scalp. She almost had the events of the previous day completely out of her mind.

"Let's go get in the shower." Happy said suddenly. Kelly's hand stopped stroking his head as he gently pushed her off the couch. "We have something to do."

"What are you talking about?" Kelly asked with a laugh, picking up on his energy. He didn't answer her as they walked into the bathroom and she started to shower. She knew he had something up his sleeve, well, metaphorically speaking considering their complete lack of clothing.

Happy surprised her by not going for any action during their shower. He washed himself quickly and told her to hurry up before exiting the shower without her. She rolled her eyes, mentally reminding him that she couldn't really hurry through managing her hair. Still she did the best she could and didn't dilly dally.

"Where are we going?" Kelly asked, seeing a suitcase open and half full on the bed. She was crossing her fingers that it wasn't another lock down. Happy didn't answer her until he finished packing what he needed. She was still wrapped in a towel when he walked over to her and got down on one knee.

"Kelly, I'm doing this right, this time. I wanted to marry you then and I still want to today. I want you, me and the baby to have the same last name and whatever else comes with getting married. We don't need to get married, angel but I want to. Do you want to marry me?" Happy knew he butchered proposing to her but he was never one for words. She smiled and kissed his lips.

"I'll marry you if you stand up. You aren't the down on one knee type, killah. Now, ask me again." Kelly said, buzzing with energy. Happy kissed her roughly and then pulled back just as suddenly.

"Marry me, Kelly." He said, leaving no question about it. She smiled and kissed him hard as she nodded.

"That's more like it. Well, what are we waiting for?" She asked, walking into the closet to get dressed.

"Your slow ass to get dressed and mess with your mane." Kelly popped her head out of the closet and snapped her fingers at him. He laughed, knowing she hated her hair being called a mane. She turned back to the closet with a smile, excited to marry the right man this time.


	13. Chapter 13

Kelly yawned as she opened the car door. It had been a long, almost nine hour drive to Las Vegas and she hadn't gotten that much sleep the night before. Happy drove the whole way for two reasons, first he knew she was tired and second, he hated the way she drove. Kelly may have hated riding fast on motorcycles, but she drove almost double the speed limit wherever she went.

"Does anyone know we're here?" Kelly asked opening her trunk to get the suitcase. Happy grabbed it instead and nodded.

"Just Jax." He said, placing a hand on her lower back as they walked inside. She looked up at the ceiling that was painted to mimic the Sistine Chapel. She smiled at the little cherubs before focusing on the check-in counter. She handed over her license and credit card for incidentals before taking the room key and signing her name. She smirked, wondering if that was going to be one of the last times she signed her name like that.

"Happy, I need to talk to you about something." Kelly said, having milled it over in her mind since they stepped foot in the elevator. Happy finished checking the room and windows before he turned to her. She took a deep breath. "I want to hyphenate my name. Not the baby's name, just my name."

Happy looked away and thought about what he was going to say. He didn't like the idea. He wanted her to have the same last name as he and the kid, not a hyphenated name. On the other hand, he thought he understood where she was coming from. It wasn't about his last name, it was about her brother. He ran his palm over his scalp and looked back at her.

"What about replacing your middle name with Kozik? They do that, right?" Happy asked, thinking he'd heard of it being done before. Kelly twisted her mouth. She didn't have a middle name, so she didn't really see a difference in hyphenating and having her maiden name be her middle name.

"That sounds good." Kelly smiled and toed her shoes off before lying down on the bed. She wiggled around until she was in just the right position, loving that it was a memory foam mattress. Happy twisted his reaper ring and looked at Kelly as she started to doze off.

"I'll be back in a little while. Go to sleep girl." He kissed her on the forehead and she yawned, finishing it off with a sleepy smile.

"I'll be here. Don't go wasting money on a ring." Kelly said, shaking her head. Happy smirked, knowing she would say that. She stripped down to her panties before walking to the suitcase and pulling out a Reaper Crew shirt. Happy watched her for a couple minutes before heading out. Kelly laid down with a sense of calm and fell asleep quickly.

Happy felt strange to be driving Kelly's car instead of riding his bike as he pulled up to Oblivion Ink. The owner was a good friend of the Las Vegas charter and had done several of Happy's tattoos, including the large snake on his chest. He just knew he was going to get shit for driving a chick car instead of his bike or truck.

"Sweetheart, I almost didn't recognize you in your sweet little Audi." Toni laughed as Happy walked inside. "Where'd you steal that from?"

"It's my old lady's. You got about fifteen minutes to do some quick ink?" Happy asked, looking around at an empty waiting area. There was one woman getting tattooed by Toni's partner, but she was the only other client in the shop. Toni nodded and motioned towards his chair.

"What are we doing? Don't have much free space left, do you?" Toni asked with a laugh.

"Just need a thick, black line." Happy raised his left hand and Toni had to blink a couple times to make sure he was hearing him correctly.

"Well, congratulations then. Your wife going to get ink to or a ring?" Toni asked as he opened a new needle. He was surprised to learn that the Happy Lowman was actually going to marry someone. Even more surprising was that someone could get that close to him.

"Up to her. I've actually already got a ring. Had it for a while." Happy said, patting his leather cut. Toni smiled and got to work on one of the tattoos that meant the absolute most to Happy.

Twenty minutes later, Happy was rotating his hand and inspecting the ink. it was about the same width as a regular, men's wedding band. On the inside of his finger was a break in the line. Where that break was, there was a small letter K. Happy gave Toni a grateful hug and started to take his wallet out. Toni shook his head.

"No way, brother. This is my wedding gift to you. Your wife decides she wants one, I'd be happy to do it." Toni said as Happy straightened his wallet chain and put his wallet away in his back pocket.

"I appreciate that, Toni. You know if you're ever up in NorCal, you've got to come visit." Happy said, giving the man a brotherly hug. Toni nodded with a smile.

"Take care of yourself, Happy." Toni said, opening the door for him. Happy gave him a nod before getting back in the car and heading to the hotel. He'd never been so sure about any decision or action he'd ever made. He knew that being with Kelly, marrying Kelly, was what he was supposed to do.

Kelly didn't even stir as Happy walked back into the hotel room. She was in the middle of the bed with one of the pillows held tight in her arms. He moved slowly and quietly, doing his best not to wake her up.

"Where'd you go?" Kelly asked sleepily. Happy sighed and tossed his jeans on the chair. Kelly smiled and lifted the sheets up for him to get into the bed with her.

"Saw an old friend and took care of something." He watched as Kelly laced her fingers in with his and then looked down at his hand. He smirked when she looked up at him. "Don't go backing out now."

"Fat chance." Kelly whispered, kissing his cheek. Happy put his hand behind her bed and kissed her deeply. Kelly rolled onto her back and Happy followed her, she loved the feel of him above her. She never felt safer.

******************************SOA********************************

"Are you nervous?" Happy asked Kelly, watching her hands shaking as she braided her hair. She shook her head with a smile and kept working on her hair. Happy brushed his boots off, hoping that she wasn't expecting him to really dress up. She hadn't said anything about it, but the white, lace dress she was wearing made him wonder. It wasn't a wedding dress, even he could tell the difference, but she still looked beautiful. It came down to just above her knees and had thin, flowing sleeves.

"You're staring." She said, standing up after finishing with her braid. He stood right behind her as she looked in the mirror and ran a hand over her stomach. Happy placed his hand on top of hers and kissed her neck.

"You're beautiful, angel. Don't panic about the baby. Nothing bad is going to happen." Happy said, wishing he could actually back up his words. He hoped nothing bad would happen, but he knew that neither of them could completely control it.

"You're going to be a good father. Herman always agreed that you would. He said that he couldn't pick a better father for his niece or nephew." Kelly said, beaming up at him with the smallest amount of tears brimming in her eyes. Happy kissed her gently and took a deep breath. He wished Kozik could have been here to see both of them happy again.

"I wanted to give this to you years ago. I wish I would have." Happy pulled the ring out of the inner pocket of his leather cut. Kelly's hand flew up to her mouth as her eyes fell on a rose gold band with an oval diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds that Happy was offering to her.

"It's beautiful, Happy." Kelly let him slide it on her finger before grabbing his head and kissing him passionately. He was about to lead her back to the bed when she pulled back, breathing a little heavier than normal. "Let's go make an honest man out of you and then we can celebrate all day."

They made their way towards the same chapel that they had almost gotten married at years ago. Kelly paused outside the front doors for a moment before following Happy inside. It was the same receptionist manning the front counter.

"Oh my gracious! It's you two!" She came around to the front, supporting herself with a cane this time. She gave Kelly a hug and nodded to Happy. "I always wondered what happened to you two! Renewing your vows?"

"Well, we never really got around to making them in the first place." Kelly said, her cheeks a little pink. The woman seemed delightfully surprised.

"Come on then, fill out these papers and we'll get you to married. After all this time! I couldn't be happier." She seemed to have a pep in her step as she hobbled back around the counter. Happy seemed a little taken aback by the woman's reaction, but Kelly was humbled.

"Hey Happy." Kelly said, looking over to him after signing her name. He signed his and looked over at her. "Turn off your damn phone for the next thirty minutes."

"As you wish." He said, pulling his phone out of his pocket and turning it off. It was the first time he'd turned a phone off in longer than he could remember. He agreed with Kelly though, he wasn't going to let anything stop them this time.

Minutes later, they were standing in front of a skinny Elvis dressed in white bell bottoms and rhinestones. Kelly couldn't look Happy in the eyes. Every time she did, she would start giggling nervously. It wasn't until the vows that Kelly was calm and serene. She repeated the traditional vows after the not so traditional Elvis and waited to be pronounced as Happy's wife. She saw a tear in his eyes as he repeated his vows with a gravelly voice.

"By the power vested in me by the State of Nevada, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may-oh, well, there you have it." Happy and Kelly had collided in the middle and were lost in one another's kiss. The receptionist was in a pew near the back, clapping and wiping her tears away.


	14. Chapter 14

"Do we have to go back already?" Kelly asked as she got back into bed. Happy put his hand on her bare hip and kissed her gently. She smiled as he put his head back on the pillow and just looked at her.

"You're beautiful, Kelly." Happy said, looking his wife over with pride. Her cheeks turned pink and it only served to prove his point. "I wish we could just stay in bed for the next week, girl."

"But duty calls." Kelly said with a soft sigh. Happy nodded. Kelly ran her hand up his leg and watched his body react to her touch. He relaxed and let her take control. They hadn't left the hotel room since getting married the day before and had barely left the bed. Kelly saw his smirk as she crawled on top of him.

"If I knew marrying you would get me this much ass, I would have done it weeks ago." Happy teased after he stepped out of the shower. He'd lost count of how many times they'd had sex since waking up that morning. Kelly pulled a fluffy, white towel off the rack and wrapped it around her body.

"It may have something to do with knocking me up." Kelly said, kissing him on the cheek before walking over to the mirror to dry her hair. Happy nodded, still a little shocked that she was pregnant. He wanted to have a kid with her, but the miscarriage from their previous pregnancy had him worried. "I think it may be a girl."

"Why's that?" Happy asked, leaning against the vanity in nothing but his black boxer briefs. Kelly continued combing her hair as she lifted a shoulder.

"I don't know. It's just a feeling." She said, wondering what their child would look like. Would their skin be caramel like Happy's or gold like her's? Would they have the Kozik blonde hair or dark hair like Happy had on the rare chance he grew it out. She didn't have a preference, one way or another, she just wanted their son or daughter to be healthy.

"When can we find out?" Happy asked, noticing that she was getting pulled into her own thoughts. Kelly blinked a couple times and resumed combing her hair.

"In a couple months." She said with a smile. Happy nodded and wanted to tell her everything would be okay, but his phone started ringing on the nightstand where it was charging.

"Yeah?" Happy asked, sitting down on the side of the bed. He heard the bathroom door close and then the hair dryer turn on.

"Hey, we've got a problem. How fast can you get back?" Happy knew Jax wouldn't be calling him unless it was an actual emergency. He stood up, holding the phone with his shoulder as he pulled on clean jeans.

"I can be there in the morning. We'll leave now." Happy said, just as Kelly emerged from the bathroom, her hair braided in one long braid down her back. She didn't ask questions and just started packing while simultaneously getting dressed. Happy checked both of his Glocks before holstering them, one in his waistband and one in a shoulder holster.

"How bad is it?" Kelly asked, zipping the suitcase and stepping into her boots. Happy picked up the suitcase and shook his head.

"I don't know. Bad." He said, wondering what he was going to be walking into. Jax hadn't elaborated on the phone, but just the tone of his voice was enough to put Happy on edge. Kelly nodded and followed him out of their hotel room.

*************************SOA**************************

Happy looked down into the pit where Tig's daughter Dawn's burnt remains lay with several other corpses. Tig was on his knees sobbing while the other members hung back, giving him some space. Happy heard Bobby mention the horrible smell of burnt flesh, but Happy didn't even notice it. He couldn't take his eyes off what used to be his brother's daughter.

He thought about his own unborn child and what would happen if he ever went through what Tig had suffered through. He hadn't even met his son or daughter, but he already couldn't bear the thought of losing them. It would kill Kelly to have their child die because of the club and he honestly didn't know if he could wear the patch after something like that.

"Hap, I've got to get her out of there." Tig said, his voice shaking. Happy looked over at his grieving brother and nodded.

"Okay." He said, walking back to the van that Phil had driven over to the rail yard. Jax looked sick and Happy could imagine he was thinking about Abel or Thomas being down in that pit. Happy grabbed a couple sheets out of the van and forced his emotions out of his head.

He helped Tig pull Dawn's body out of the pit and wrap her up in the sheets. Tig refused his offer to go to Skeeter's with him to have her cremated. He insisted on doing it alone.

"Happy, what happened?" Kelly asked as he walked inside. She smelled a sickening, burnt smell on his clothes and saw the subdued look in his eyes.

"Tig's daughter was killed." He didn't want to elaborate and scare her. She covered her mouth with her hand and shook her head. Happy sighed and shrugged his cut off, hanging it on the hook by the door. Kelly stepped towards him, but he dodged her and headed straight for the shower. Kelly turned and looked after him without a word. She knew whatever he'd witnessed tonight had to be horrible.

"Are you hungry?" Kelly asked as Happy walked into the kitchen, freshly showered. He shook his head, unable to stomach the thought of eating. He put his hands on top of Kelly's as she continued to wrap dishes in newspaper and pack them into boxes. She stopped and looked up at him.

"I'm never going to let anything happen to you or our kid. I promise you." Happy said, placing a hand on her stomach. She hadn't started showing yet, but he knew that was his little girl or little boy in there. He was promising them just as much as he was Kelly. "Come on. You need to sleep if you're going back to work tomorrow."

"I need to pack, Hap." Kelly said softly. He shook his head and put the lid on the box. She sighed, worried that they wouldn't be able to move as quickly as she wanted to. Kelly fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Happy watched her sleep and listened to every sound outside and inside the house. He was wide awake. He knew things weren't going to get any better with the club anytime soon and that meant his family wasn't safe.

Kelly woke up with Happy's arm around her, a Glock in his hand. She frowned and rolled over to face him, realizing he was barely sleeping as he opened his eyes immediately. She brought her palm up to his cheek and searched his eyes for a way to help him. He knew what she was doing.

"It's nothing you can fix, angel. Just focus on taking care of yourself and our kid. I've got everything else." He said, kissing her lips gingerly. Kelly took a deep breath and nodded slowly.

"I've got to get ready for work." She whispered, still feeling uneasy. He nodded and removed his arm from around her. Kelly watched him put the gun back under his pillow before he rolled over to try and get some more sleep. "Do you want me to come by the clubhouse after work?"

"Yeah. I'll let you know if that changes, girl." He sounded groggy. Kelly continued getting ready as quietly as possible. "Let me know when you get to work."

"Okay, Hap. Try to get some sleep." She whispered, kissing his cheek. He grunted and grabbed her ass. "Easy, I've got to get to work."

It made Kelly a little nervous to park her car in the same spot it had been in when Tom had assaulted her. She turned the car off quickly and hurried inside. Tom was gone but she was still on edge, despite her best efforts to calm herself down.

"Welcome back! Everything okay?" Dr. Cooke asked as Kelly pulled her hair up and straightened her stethoscope. She nodded with a smile and looked over the patient board to see what they were working with in the unit.

It felt good to get back to work. Taking care of the patients took Kelly's mind off of everything else going on in her personal life. She appreciated the break from the stress.

"Kelly, can you take Ms. Garret to get her x-rays? I've been waiting for an hour for transport to come help her down there." Dr. Cooke said, grabbing his hair as he ran his hand through it. Kelly swallowed hard.

"I can, but I can't be in there with her." Kelly said, avoiding eye contact. Dr. Cooke blinked a couple times and then nodded slowly.

"Yeah, yeah that's fine. Have a tech go in with her. Congratulations." His smile fell a little short of genuine in Kelly's opinion, but she wasn't going to mention it. She nodded and walked into Ms. Garret's room to take her down for the x-ray. She could tell Dr. Cooke was watching her closely.

"What's going on?" Kelly asked, noticing the somber mood of the clubhouse as soon as she walked in. She was tired from a busy shift and had hoped to find the clubhouse alive with energy. Happy walked over from the bar where he'd been talking to Tig.

"Hey." He kissed her possessively and pulled her closer. "Jax, Chibs and Tig are going inside on some bullshit charges. Just waiting on their ride."

"You aren't going?" Kelly felt selfish for even asking. She was used to him going inside when other members did. He shook his head and she looked over to Tara who was hugging Jax. Kelly frowned and nodded as she turned back to Happy.

"Well, our ride's here." Chibs slurred, slamming his shot glass down. Kelly looked up at the security camera feed and saw a transport van rolling onto the lot along with several patrol cars. Moments later, the Sheriff was banging on the door.

"Stay back." Happy said before walking towards the door. She watched him take a step towards the sheriff and felt her heart start to race. He let Lowen step in front of him as Jax, Chibs and Tig said goodbye to everyone.

"Congratulations." Tig whispered with a sad smile as he hugged Kelly. She felt her bottom lip tremble and hugged him tightly. She watched him hug Happy before everyone started filing out of the door. Kelly followed Tara outside as the sheriff yelled for Tig, Chibs and Jax to be cuffed.

"Opie looks pissed." Kelly said as he quickly walked his bike into line. Tara nodded as they watched him storm over to the sheriff. "Oh my god."

"What is Opie doing?" Tara said as they cuffed him after he sucker punched the sheriff and fought off two other officers. Happy, Juice and Bobby moved to help him but several other officers aimed their rifles at them, halting their advancement.

"He's staying close." Gemma said quietly. Tara and Kelly looked at her for a moment before turning their attention back to the transport van that was pulling away. Happy looked down at his boots and shook his head before heading back inside the clubhouse, taking Kelly under his arm as he went.


	15. Chapter 15

Kelly woke up to Happy talking on the phone. She heard his voice crack and rolled over, suddenly feeling wide awake. He closed the phone and gripped it in his hand for a minute, his chest rising and falling rapidly. Kelly took his free hand and moved closer to him.

"Opie's dead. It was all a set up. Pope wasn't going to let them leave county without a sacrifice." Happy threw his phone across the room, shattering it against the wall. Kelly bit her bottom lip and caressed his head as he laid it on her chest. He wasn't crying, but she could tell he was close to it.

"I'm sorry." Kelly said, her voice catching in her throat. Happy shook his head and sat up, bringing his knees up and resting his forearms on them. He dropped his shaking head and closed his eyes.

"How are we supposed to bring a kid into this, angel? First Kozik, then Tig's kid and now Opie?" He shook his head again. "I never should have brought you down here. You were safe in Tacoma."

"Happy, don't say that." Kelly knew he was hurting and worrying about taking care of her, but she didn't want him to regret her being in Charming, being with him. He looked over at her and frowned.

"It's the truth. I put what I wanted ahead of your safety." He said, blaming himself for something that hadn't even happened yet. Kelly sighed and looped her arm in with his.

"I'm safe, Happy. We're both safe." She slowly moved his hand to her stomach and gave him a small smile. He pulled his bottom lip in and nodded slowly. Kelly laid back down and Happy followed her, resting his cheek on her stomach. She ran her nails over his scalp lightly.

"I'm going to keep you and your momma safe. You just need to hang out in there for a while and when you get here, everything will be better. Nothing is going to hurt you, baby." He pressed a soft kiss to her stomach before putting his head on his pillow. Kelly had tears in her eyes, feeling guilty for being so happy after hearing such horrible news. She felt even worse for being relieved that it wasn't her husband that had been killed.

"I love you, Happy." Kelly said, rolling over on her side to look at him. He nodded and took her hand in his. She dipped her chin towards her chest and tried to go back to sleep.

Happy turned his head to watch her sleep. He was hurting from the loss of Opie, but it made him realize that he had to treat every day with Kelly like it was going to be his last. He knew that if anything ever happened to him, he would want her to have good memories to fall back on. His eyes fell to her stomach and he watched it move with every breath she took. He knew that his life wasn't the same anymore. He couldn't put the club first, not ahead of his family.

He slid down further into the bed and wrapped an arm around Kelly's waist. He knew holding her in his arms was the only chance he had for getting any sleep. She shifted and moved closer to him as he closed his eyes.

"Do you want me to iron your shirt for tomorrow?" Kelly asked as Happy walked out of the shower. They were leaving for the wake soon and Kelly knew she wouldn't feel like ironing in the morning before the burial. Happy shook his head and pulled on a plain black t-shirt. Kelly watched him for a moment before she decided to get dressed as well.

Happy zipped his jeans and let his hands fall to his side. He was tired of losing family. The doorbell rang just as he was about to ask Kelly if she was okay.

"I'll get it." He said, as Kelly rushed to put a shirt on. She gave him a sad smile and stepped into the bathroom, letting him deal with whoever was at the door.

"What?" Happy asked, folding his arms across his chest. The sheriff glanced past Happy, wondering where Ms. Kozik was, he'd hoped not to deal with Happy Lowman.

"Looking for Ms. Kozik, I noticed her car in the driveway." Roosevelt said, motioning towards the Audi. Happy nodded.

"Great detective work. My wife is busy and we are leaving soon." Happy growled, knowing that whatever the sheriff wanted with Kelly had to do with her ex. Happy watched Roosevelt swallow hard and knew that the badge didn't protect him from feeling intimidated like he wanted everyone to believe.

"Wife? She just got into town, didn't she?" Roosevelt didn't even try to start figuring out how the man had gotten the woman to marry him. He was suspicious though. The timing seemed too convenient.

"We have a wake to go to." Happy said, ignoring the personal question. Roosevelt frowned, knowing that the club was deeply affected by Opie's death. He also knew that meant that retaliation was right around the corner. It was just a matter of time.

"Of course. I'll catch up with her another time then. I'm sorry for your loss." Roosevelt said, stepping down off the front porch. Happy took a step back and slammed the door.

"Happy?" Kelly stepped out in the hallway, wondering what had happened. He walked into the bedroom and sat down on the end of the bed. "Who was at the door?"

"Sheriff. He was asking for you." Happy said, running his hand over the short hairs that were starting to grow on his scalp. Kelly nodded.

"We'll worry about it tomorrow, Hap. Are you ready to go?" Kelly asked, knowing that Happy was already on edge before the sheriff showed up made her want to avoid the topic all together. She assumed he would have questions about Tom's whereabouts.

"Yeah. Stay behind me." He said, standing up and brushing a kiss on her cheek as he walked out of the room again. Kelly stepped into her boots and turned off the light on her way out.

"Hey baby." Kelly said, hugging Lyla tightly. Kelly didn't know what their relationship status was when Opie died, but she knew that Lyla loved him. Lyla gave her a small smile as she stepped back. Gemma put her arm around Lyla's shoulders and gave Kelly a dark look. "Gemma."

"Kelly." She spat, leaving no question about her feelings towards Kelly. The younger woman sighed and anxiously twisted her ring, still not accustomed to it being on her finger. Gemma's eyes fell to the ring and Kelly dropped her hands to her side. "Now isn't the time or place."

"What?" Kelly blinked. That was curt, even for Gemma. Kelly wasn't trying to bring attention to her ring, but Gemma acted like she was. Happy walked up from behind Kelly and wrapped his hand around her waist.

"You okay?" He whispered, his mouth close to Kelly's ear. He could feel how tense she was and knew it had to be Gemma's doing. Instead of letting him know what happened, she just nodded and gave his cheek a quick peck. Happy wasn't convinced, but knew better than to try and pry it out of her. He gave Gemma a quick glare before leading Kelly over to where Lee and Blue were standing.

"Hey sweetheart." Mary stepped out from under Lee's arm and gave Kelly a tight hug. She imagined that another wake, so close to her brother's passing would be hard on her. Kelly's smile quivered but she kept the tears at bay. "You doing okay?"

"I guess. It's good to see you, just wish it wasn't because of this." Kelly said with a frown. Mary nodded and gave her a comforting smile.

"It's how these things go sometimes. Congratulations, by the way." Mary gave her a little wink as Kelly's cheeks darkened. "I saw Happy's new tattoo and then your ring."

"Thank you. We were going to announce it soon but," Kelly trailed off, knowing Mary understood what she meant. It didn't bother Kelly to keep it between she and Happy, but she didn't want anyone to feel like they were concealing from the club. There was already enough suspicion surrounding Kelly, she didn't want any more.

The room fell silent as Jax emerged from the dorm hallway. Everyone turned and watched as he walked into the chapel where Opie's casket was. He stood next to the casket alone for a moment before the Redwood Original members started filing in. Happy squeezed Kelly's hand and she gave him a small nod before he joined his brothers in the chapel.

Kelly felt the tears start to come up as she watched the lid of Opie's casket be put into place. Mary put an arm around her shoulder as the casket was carried out. Everyone raised the beers and glasses as it was hoisted up. Kelly bit her bottom lip as tears started to roll down her cheeks. The entire group filed out into the parking lot behind the casket, watching solemnly as it was loaded into the back of a black hearse.

"You look like you need a drink." Tig said, offering up a glass of whiskey. Kelly shook her head.

"I'm good, thanks Tig." She watched his brow rise, but he didn't comment on her refusal or ask any questions. Kelly caught sight of Lyla while she scanned the room. She was sitting with Tara and Gemma, her eyes fixated on her lap. Kelly wanted to comfort her, or at least try. There was no question whether she was welcome though.

"How far along are you?" Mary asked, sitting down next to Kelly at one of the high top tables. Happy was over by the bar with Juice, Tig, Blue and Lee.

"How did you know?" Kelly asked, knowing better than to think that Happy said anything. Mary smiled.

"You turned down a drink and just have this glow about you. I've known you for a very long time, sweetheart. I can tell when something has changed with you." Mary kept her voice low, knowing both Kelly and Happy well enough to know how private they were.

"I'm just now five weeks. We aren't going to say anything until the second trimester, at least." Kelly said. She and Happy had agreed that they wanted to focus on the baby and that announcing the pregnancy early could cause Kelly undo stress.

"I'm praying for you both." Mary whispered before giving her a kiss on the cheek. Kelly nodded with a smile. Happy glanced over and made eye contact with his wife, wondering what she and Mary were whispering about. He slowly turned his attention back to Tig and Lee's conversation.

******SOA******Little Bird*****SOA*******

"Are you ready to find out the gender?" The doctor asked, squirting cold gel onto Kelly's stomach. She bit her lip, wondering if Happy was going to miss the most important ultrasound so far. He'd missed the last one and had promised her he would be there for the gender ultrasound. "Mrs. Lowman, are you okay?"

"Happy!" Kelly smiled as he walked into the room. The doctor turned back and looked at him with a polite smile. He moved to Kelly's side and took her hand before he kissed her forehead.

"Sorry, I got held up at the garage." Happy lied. Kelly knew he hadn't worked in the garage in over a month, it was a lie for the doctor. Kelly nodded and squeezed his hand, just happy that he made it.

"Any last minute wishes before we see?" The doctor asked, placing the device on Kelly's stomach. She and Happy both shook their heads, their only wish was for a healthy baby, no matter the gender. Happy realized he wasn't breathing as the monitor showed his child's head. He smiled and watched as the doctor pointed out the little hands and feet as well.

"Are they in a good position to see the gender?" Kelly asked, looking at the monitor. As if the baby was listening, it changed positions. The doctor smiled and pressed a button on the computer.

"Well, Dad, it looks like you're going to be outnumbered. It's a girl." The doctor said with a smile. Kelly squeezed Happy's hand and smiled brightly, happy tears rolling down her cheeks. Happy kissed her forehead again, surprised at just how glad he was to hear that it was in fact a little girl.

"Can you print two copies of that?" Happy asked the doctor as she wiped the gel off of Kelly's stomach. She smiled and nodded.

"Of course. Both Mommy and baby look healthy. I'd like to see you gain a little more weight, but you're only sixteen weeks, so you have some time for that. I know you're both concerned because of the previous miscarriage but, so far, everything looks great. I want to start seeing you every two weeks so we can keep an eye on both of you." The doctor handed Happy both of the prints as Kelly sat up.

"Do you see me being put on bed rest? I need to give St. Thomas as much notice as I can if so." Kelly said, pushing her hair out of her eyes. The doctor nodded.

"It's a good possibility. I'd like you on modified bed rest soon after your third trimester mark." She said, jotting notes in the chart. Happy watched as Kelly nodded, but knew it would be hell on her to rest that long. The doctor led them to the receptionist who took the co-payment and set up the next appointment.

"Sorry I was late, angel. Things go pretty heated at the meet with the Irish." Happy said, opening the car door for her. She nodded and set her purse in the passenger seat.

"It's fine, Hap. You made it, that's what matters. Is everything okay?" She asked, rubbing her back. Happy nodded.

"Yeah, it will be. Are you going home?" He asked rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand.

"Uh huh. I have sweet potatoes in the oven. Are you going to be late?" Kelly asked, the baby kicking up a storm against her ribs. Happy nodded.

"Yeah, might be. I'll let you know." He kissed her goodbye and closed the door for her when she got into the car. "Be careful."

"You to." Kelly said, starting the car as he walked over to his motorcycle. She was ready to get home and take her jeans off. She was still barely showing, but her jeans were getting more and more uncomfortable as the days went on.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me." Kelly groaned, seeing Gemma's car in the driveway, blocking the side of the garage that she normally parked in. She pulled in front of the garage bay that Happy's truck was parked in and shut off her car.

"Gemma." Kelly said coolly, having given up on having a good relationship with her after Opie's wake. Gemma stepped out of her car and pushed her sunglasses over her eyes. Kelly saw how bloodshot they were.

"Thought you might want to know where your husband was this morning." Gemma hissed the word husband, still reeling from the couple's decision to wait six weeks to tell anyone that they had gone to Las Vegas and eloped. Kelly rolled her eyes and turned away to go inside the house and pretend Gemma never came over. "Afraid of the truth?"

"The truth? No, I'm not afraid of what I already know. I trust Happy." Kelly said, taking a few more steps towards the front door. She heard Gemma following her and turned around.

"That's sweet, really. So, he told you about the club becoming partners in Nero's escort service?" Gemma said, hoping to get a rise out of the blonde. Kelly sighed and nodded her head. "Well, maybe you should ask him about his little brunette friend I saw him walking out of a room with this morning."

"Why are you telling me this, Gemma? I get that you don't like me, the feeling is mutual. Why start things with Happy and I?" Kelly was fighting to keep what Gemma had said out of her head. She trusted Happy. She knew there had to be a good explanation, if Gemma had even seen what she said.

"You and Happy don't work, Kelly. He's loyal to his club and you're just a rat. The sooner this little relationship ends, the better." Gemma was still talking, but Kelly slammed the door in her face to keep from physically attacking her. Had she not been carrying her and Happy's child, she wouldn't have hesitated to give Gemma the beating she deserved.

"I trust him." Kelly said to herself as she walked into the kitchen. She and Happy had agreed to paint the new kitchen a deep red color to make the white cabinets pop, but had yet to start on the project. Kelly stood and looked around at the plain white walls and decided that distracting herself with painting was her best chance of not freaking out.


	16. Chapter 16

Happy could smell the paint as soon as he walked inside. He was already wondering why her car wasn't parked in the garage and knew something was up. When he walked into the kitchen, he saw Kelly wearing a Rolling Stones t-shirt and a pair of thin exercise shorts. She had red paint all over her arms and in her hair.

"I thought we were going to work on that together, angel." Happy said, taking the paint brush from her and setting it in the sink. He could tell she was upset about something by the way she avoided his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Gemma was here when I got home." She said, walking over to the sink and rinsing the paint out of the brush. Kelly turned the water off and looked back at him. "She said you were at Diosa this morning."

"Yeah, before the meet with the Irish. That isn't what's bothering you, Kelly. What did else did she say?" Kelly could tell he was getting angry, which was why she was hesitant about telling him what happened. She shook her head and looked at her paint covered hands.

"She decided I needed to know that you were walking out of one of the rooms with a brunette." Kelly said, turning back to the sink to wash off some of the paint. Happy was seeing more red than that on the partially painted walls. He walked over and turned the water off. Kelly sighed and looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "I trust you, Happy. I'm not even upset about what she said, just that she said it."

"Do you trust me, Kelly? I can stand here and tell you it didn't happen but if you don't trust me, it won't change anything." Happy said, trying to keep calm. He wasn't mad at Kelly, he was mad at Gemma and the situation she'd created.

"Happy, you don't have to tell me anything. I trust you. I know you wouldn't cheat on me. Why does she lie to cause trouble? I've never done anything to her." Kelly said, rubbing her stomach as their daughter moved around. Happy pulled her to him, ignoring the paint she would get on him.

"I don't know, baby." Happy said, kissing her forehead. He wanted to rip Gemma's throat out for meddling in his relationship and lying to Kelly, but he knew it could wait. Being with Kelly and trying to relieve her stress was what mattered most. "Let's clean this up and then go get something to eat."

"Do you think we could get Chinese food?" Kelly said, trying to push Gemma from her mind. Happy nodded and scooped her up in his arms, carrying her into the bathroom. Her smile made him feel a little less homicidal. They showered together and Happy took her mind off of things the way only he could.

"Have you thought of any names for the baby?" Kelly asked as she combed her hair. Happy shook his head and zipped his jeans.

"Not yet. I know you have." He said with a smirk. Kelly laughed and gave him a little shrug.

"Maybe a couple of ideas." Kelly said. Happy nodded, not surprised in the least. Kelly stepped into her jeans and smiled. "I think I want to meet her before we decide."

"Whatever you want, angel." Happy said, opening the car door for her. She sat down and leaned the seat back. Happy backed the car out of the driveway with his hand on her thigh. His phone started vibrating as they pulled into the restaurant's parking lot. He sighed and answered it quickly. "What?"

"Pope is dead. We need everyone at the clubhouse." Jax said quickly. Happy groaned and put the car in park.

"Yeah, I hear you. I'll be there in about thirty." Happy said, not thrilled about dragging Kelly to the clubhouse. She was looking out the window and he knew she was upset. "I'll get it to go."

"Okay." Kelly said simply. Part of her wished that he could have transferred back to Tacoma. It was safer there and there was no Gemma to deal with. She ran her hand over her stomach, wondering if Happy was right about it not being safe to bring a child into the mess. She felt sick just thinking about anything happening to their daughter.

"I got you extra egg rolls." Happy said, sitting the paper bag in the back floorboard. Kelly gave him a half-hearted smile. "I've got to go back and get the bike. You need me to get somebody to drive you?"

"No, I can drive." Kelly said. She had no desire to go to the clubhouse, especially when she knew Gemma would be there to. Happy understood why she was upset, but there was nothing he could do. "What happened?"

"Pope is dead. Jax wants everyone safe." Happy explained, turning onto their street. Kelly was getting tired of that word, safe. She wondered if Jax even knew what that really meant. "I'll make sure Gemma stays away from you."

"I don't want to be protected from her, Happy. I want her to understand that she can't try to hurt people because it suits her. She needs to be knocked off her high horse and I know you can't do it." Kelly said, frustrated and tired.

"I can't do it?" Happy asked, opening the door. Kelly nodded and got out, walking around the car and meeting him at the driver's door.

"No, you can't. She's the charter president's mother." Kelly rolled her eyes. She was tired of the situation and tired in general.

"Kelly." Happy said with a sigh. She shook her head and got into the car without a word. Happy decided to pick his battles and walked over to his bike. He knew there wasn't much he could say to disagree with her.

"Hey, sweetheart, how are you feeling?" Tara asked as Kelly sat down. Happy sat the bag of food in front of her before walking to the chapel. She rolled her eyes and pushed it to the side.

"I'm tired, hungry and I don't want to be here." She said. Tara frowned, knowing that it had to be rough on her. "Your monster-in-law here yet?"

"No, not yet. Did something happen between you two again?" Tara asked. Kelly was about to explain when the door opened behind Tara. Gemma walked in, blatantly ignoring Kelly.

"Just an old woman sticking her nose where it doesn't belong." Kelly made sure she was loud enough for Gemma to hear her. She stood up when Gemma turned back. "Stay out of our relationship, Gemma."

"Little girl, you need to show me some respect." Gemma said, staring Kelly down. Her cheeks went red when Kelly laughed.

"Respect is something you have to earn. You're the last person that deserves respect, Gemma. You've lost your standing with the club and you're just trying to cause problems to stay relevant." Kelly hissed as Gemma's open hand connected with her cheek. "You have no idea what you just did."

"I'm putting you in your place." Gemma grabbed Kelly's hair and shoved her towards one of the high top tables. Kelly threw her hands out in front of her to protect her stomach from hitting the table top. It went crashing to the floor as Kelly grabbed onto a stool to slow her fall. She was on her knees as Gemma stalked towards her.

"Kelly!" Happy burst out of the chapel as Gemma grabbed Kelly's jaw. Tara yanked Gemma back before Happy got to her. Kelly was scowling as Happy gently turned her red cheek towards her. He ran his thumb over a small cut and she watched his eyes darken with fury. "Go lay down. Tara, go check make sure they're both okay."

"Both?" Jax asked, looking from Tara to Happy. Tara paused and bit her bottom lip as she nodded. It had been Happy and Kelly's wish that she not say anything about the baby, even to Jax.

"You just hurt my pregnant wife." Happy growled, advancing on Gemma. Her eyes were wide and she backed herself against the bar. "If it wasn't for your son, I'd kill you right now."

"Hap." Chibs said carefully. Happy shook his head, not taking his eyes off of Gemma. He pulled his Glock, aiming it right at her head. Jax walked forward slowly.

"Happy, I'll take care of it." Jax said, putting his hands up slowly. Happy still had his Glock aimed at her. "Hap."

"Take care of it. If you don't, I will." Happy said, grabbing the food and storming down the hall. He needed a distraction before he walked back into the bar and killed Gemma for what she'd done. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Kelly said, staring at the ceiling and rubbing her stomach. Tara nodded and stood up.

"They're both good. I'm sorry about Gemma." Tara said, sickened by her own family's behavior. Happy nodded.

"You don't get to apologize for her." He said before she left. Kelly sat up and pulled her legs beneath her as Happy sat down on the bed. "She's not going to bother you again, angel. I swear."

"I want to name her Meadow." Kelly said, changing the subject. Happy smirked and handed her the sesame chicken she loved. She opened the container quickly as he finished emptying the bag.

"Okay, baby." He said, opening his carton of Lo Mein. Kelly forced a small smile before she started to eat. "Kelly, I'm going to take care of both of you. You don't ever have to worry."

"Okay, Happy." Kelly said, not wanting to argue. She wanted to believe him, but there were too many elements that he couldn't control. They ate in near silence, both of them deep in thought. Kelly was trying to talk herself down from near panic while Happy was racking his brain, trying to make a fail-safe plan to keep both Kelly and the baby safe.

"If shit doesn't start looking better, I think we need to talk about transferring back to Tacoma." Happy said, determined to put his family first like he should have the first time around. Kelly looked up from her barely touched food, eyes wide. "I told you, angel. You and this kid come first."

"That makes me feel a lot better." Kelly said, a weight easing off her chest. Happy nodded and set his food aside. She did the same, her mind off of food completely. She toed her shoes off as she made her way farther onto the bed, Happy following her as he stripped down. "I'm yours, Happy."

"Yes, you are." He said, kissing her neck softly. She moaned, scraping her teeth over her bottom lip. Happy slowly unbuttoned her sheer, black top, peppering the skin with kisses as it was exposed. The slow, tenderness was driving Kelly to the edge and he hadn't even made it to her jeans.

There was a knock on the door and Happy paused his exploration of Kelly's body. She grabbed the chain around his neck and shook her head, plainly telling him not to leave her in that state. He groaned and slammed his mouth onto hers, kissing her feverishly. Kelly lifted her hips towards him, just before the knock at the door came again. Happy broke off the kiss and moved away quickly.

"What!?" Happy all but roared when he saw Rat standing in the doorway. He watched the prospect's eyes slide over to Kelly and it pushed him over the edge. Happy grabbed Rat by the throat and slammed him against the wall across from the dorm-room door. "You like looking at my wife?"

"Yeah, I mean, no. Not like that." Rat said. Happy threw his fist into Rat's stomach. The younger man coughed and doubled over. Happy grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him upright again.

"You better have a good reason for pulling me away from her." Happy growled, ready to take out all the built up anger and frustration on Rat.

"Clay wanted to talk to you about Gemma." Rat said, still coughing from the upper cut.

"Happy! Leave him alone." Kelly said appearing in the doorway in his t-shirt and her jeans. Rat looked past Happy to Kelly, immediately regretting the decision. Happy pulled him off the wall, only to slam his back into it violently.

"Tell Clay I'm busy." Happy growled, letting a wheezing Rat go. Kelly was scowling at him when he gently pushed her back into the room.

"He didn't do anything, Happy!" Kelly stood across the room from him, her hands on her hips. She could see his chest rising and falling angrily. The bulge behind the black boxers he was wearing almost distracted her from the conversation.

"I don't share, Kelly." Happy growled, angry that Rat's interruption had diverted their original plans. She scowled at him and shook her head.

"It takes two, Happy. I'm yours and yours alone. Do you not trust me?" Kelly asked, feeling her emotions start to swirl. It was her least favorite part of pregnancy.

"Yes, I trust you. It's about them." He walked over and grabbed her forearms, guiding her over to the bed. Pissed or not, he still wanted her. Kelly kissed him angrily.

"Them? They are your brothers! What about all the whores around here? What about the ones at Diosa?" Kelly growled, rolling Happy over to his back and pinning him down. He smirked and she narrowed her eyes.

"This," he cupped his hand between her legs, feeling her body quake beneath her jeans. "This is the only pussy I'll ever be interested in. This is the only mouth I want on me."

Happy kissed her as he wrapped her hair around his hand. She moaned and lowered herself down so she was almost lying on top of him. He moved his hands down to remove her jeans as his tongue slid into her mouth. She ground her hips against his boxers, feeling his hardened member against the pool of warmth between her legs. He sucked at her bottom lip, nipping it lightly with her teeth.

"Show me you mean it." Kelly whispered into Happy's ear. He wrapped his arms around her and rolled, switching their position. She stared up into his dark brown eyes as ridded her of his shirt, her bra and her thong. He sucked his bottom lip into his mouth, taken back by how perfect she was. She slowly pulled him down to her, longing for nothing but his touch.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Kelly ran her hand over her stomach as Meadow kicked up a storm. The baby had woken Kelly up just after three in the morning and hadn't stopped kicking for very long since. Normally, Happy was there to hold her and it would soothe them both back to sleep, but he was headed back from Washington with the club.

"You're going to be a handful, aren't you?" Kelly asked, resting her hand over where Meadow had last kicked. She looked over at the clock and groaned, it was after five. "Happy Valentine's day, little girl."

 **February 14, 2005**

"Big Valentine's plans?" Mary asked, sitting down next to Kelly. The young woman shook her head. She was trying to pretend that it didn't matter to her, that she didn't care that Happy hadn't made any plans. Mary smiled knowingly. "Sweetheart, it isn't you. He's crazy about you, I just don't think he's much of a holiday man."

"It's fine. I didn't tell him I wanted to do anything." Kelly said, raising her shoulder. Mary squeezed her knee. "Are you and Lee doing anything?"

"We have this little tradition that he cooks dinner and then I give him a massage before bed." Mary said with a little laugh. "I know, it isn't nearly as exciting as you would think."

"No, it's sweet." Kelly said with a smile. She wondered if she and Happy would make traditions one day. So far, their only tradition was having sex at least every other day.

"What's the face for, little bird?" Kozik asked, joining the two women at the bar. Kelly shook her head, refusing to let her big brother in on what was bothering her. "Come on."

"It's nothing. I just hate Valentine's Day." Kelly said, putting on a smile. He tried to keep the smirk off his face and just nodded his head instead of saying anything. Kozik knew his little sister, she didn't hate the holiday, she was just upset. He had been threatened within an inch of his life if he said anything about Happy's plans.

Kelly looked up as Happy walked into the clubhouse and couldn't help but frown a little. Kozik looked away from her, unable to keep a straight face.

"What's wrong, Angel?" Happy asked, knowing she was probably pissed that he hadn't said anything about Valentine's Day. Before Kelly, he'd never given the day two thoughts. He still didn't care much for the holiday, but he liked to see Kelly smile. "Come on."

"What? Where are we going?" Kelly asked as he pulled her along by the hand. He didn't answer and just led her outside. She felt her heart start to race. "Happy?"

"Kelly, you think you can just trust me and stop asking questions?" Happy asked with a hint of a smile. Kelly took a deep breath and nodded. She climbed onto the motorcycle and wrapped her arms around his waist. He headed off the lot, hoping she would be okay with what he had planned.

"What are we doing?" Kelly asked, unable to keep from it. Happy hung his helmet on the handle bar and looked at the house they'd stopped in front of. Kelly was worried that he'd lost his mind. She was under no delusion that he was a law abiding citizen, but she wasn't into breaking into houses.

"This is our house." Happy said, glancing over at her to watch her reaction. She looked to the house and blinked a couple times. He laughed and put a hand on her lower back. "We have an option to buy it after the lease is up. Wanted to make sure you liked it first."

It wasn't a large house, but Kelly liked that about it. She liked the idea of being close, even if they were in different rooms. She'd been in large houses, like Lee and Mary's and she just didn't like the distance. The house would be plenty big for the both of them. She turned to Happy and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him before he could get a word out.

"It's perfect, Happy. I love you." Kelly said after lowering down off her tip-toes. Happy pushed her hair out of her face and kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Kelly Kozik. Come on, let's get inside. Happy Valentine's Day." Happy opened the door to a single table in the entryway. On top of the table was a large vase with at least three dozen, red roses. Kelly bit her lip as it started to tremble. She'd never felt so loved. Happy gave her a little push to get her inside.

 **Present Day**

Happy crept into the room, hoping not to wake Kelly. She was curled up on his side of the bed, one hand resting on her stomach. He loved that sight, his pregnant wife in their bed. It had been a long, tiring night but seeing Kelly sleeping safe in their bed made everything worth it.

"Hap?" Kelly moaned as he guided her towards the middle of the bed. He kissed the top of her head before she readjusted so her head was on his chest. She was still sleeping, but Happy could feel Meadow kicking against his side. He smiled and put his hand on Kelly's stomach.

"Go to sleep, princess. Three more months." He whispered, shooting a prayer up to a God he hadn't talked to in years. His Ma would skin him alive for not praying or going to Mass. He closed his eyes as he thought about how happy she would have been to have a grandchild.

Kelly woke up with Happy's arm around her. She wasn't sure when he had gotten home, but was glad that he'd made it back safe. Instead of getting up right when she woke up, like she normally did, Kelly just laid in his arms. She was content to just lie with him for the rest of the day.

 **I know it is short and I had wanted to post it on Valentine's Day, but someone decided to try and steal my motorcycle so I've been pretty distracted and busy. However, I hope you enjoyed.**


	18. Chapter 18

"I'm not being ridiculous! I can't raise Meadow alone, Happy. What happened to us coming first?" Kelly asked, hearing her own voice rising before she could stop it. Happy shook his head and slammed the door he was getting ready to walk through. Kelly knew he was pissed that she was calling him out, but she was pissed to.

"You do come first, Kelly. Where do you think all the money I make with the club goes? If we went back to Tacoma now, that would put Charming another man down. Trust me, that could break the club. It's going to calm down. You can't rush it." Happy was doing his best not to yell at the woman that was currently driving him crazy. They'd been here before, her pregnancy hormones on full blast and him getting busy with the club. He was determined to do things differently this time.

"I can't rush change but this baby isn't going to wait for things to calm down, Happy! She needs her father here and whole, not locked up or riddled with bullet holes. Don't you dare act like I don't support this household, I just now cut back on hours, Happy. Maybe I should go visit Mary and Lee when my maternity leave starts." Kelly wasn't expecting that to get such a reaction out of him. Happy kicked a dining room chair, sending it crashing against the wall.

"Don't threaten me, Kelly. You're carrying my kid to. Don't start hanging leaving over my head." Happy was seeing red. He wasn't going to let her take his family back to Tacoma.

"Happy, I'm not threatening you, baby. I just want Meadow and I to be safe. I'm not leaving you." Kelly approached him slowly. "Please, Happy."

"I've got to go, angel." He pulled her to him, wishing he had more time to put this argument behind them before he left. Kelly nodded without another word. She hated parting on less than good terms. She had to get to work and he had to get on the road.

Kelly glanced at the calendar as she poured herself a shot of wheatgrass, she hated the taste but wanted the vitamins for Meadow. Her third trimester was starting in a week and she knew the hormones and nerves were getting to her. She wanted to keep Meadow in a bubble, protecting her from everything that could ever hurt her.

At the clubhouse, Happy strapped the kevlar vest to his chest, knowing that Kelly would never forgive him if he got hurt by not wearing it. He rubbed his forehead, wondering how he was ever going to relax once Meadow was born. It was one thing to keep her and Kelly safe now, but what about when she was born. Happy didn't want her to be vulnerable. Knowing what had happened to Abel only had him that more concerned.

Kelly sat down at the nurse's station and closed her eyes. She was exhausted and she still had six more hours before she could go home.

"How are you feeling?" Dr. Cooke asked, leaning against the counter. Kelly opened her eyes and looked up at him with a small smile.

"I've been better. I'm just trying not to push it. I'm sorry, I know there is still work to be done." Kelly said, wheeling her chair back away from the desk. She felt a sharp pain just before she stood up. Dr. Cooke rounded the desk quickly, taking her hand.

"Are you ok?" Kelly shook her head, wishing she could honestly give him a different answer. He pressed the intercom button and leaned over towards the microphone. "I need an OB to Cardiac Nurse's station, STAT!"

"You don't have to do that." Kelly said, working on her breathing to try and relieve some of the discomfort. Dr. Cooke took her wrist, pressing his fingers over her artery gently. She knew her pulse was going to be extremely high. "Can you page Dr. Knowles? She's practically family."

"Kelly? I heard the page for an OB over the intercom. What's wrong?" Tara didn't hesitate to come around the desk. She could see the sweat building on Kelly's brow and knew it wasn't good.

"I've been really tired, so I sat down to do paperwork. When I went to stand up, there was a sharp pain and I haven't felt Meadow kick. She normally kicks when I put my hand here." Kelly put her hand on her stomach, just above her naval. It was the same place that Happy normally had his hand when he held her at night.

"You may have just pulled something. They'll check you out." Tara said as the OB team showed up. She took a step back, giving them room to help Kelly. "Do you want me to call Happy?"

"Please. Don't panic him though." Kelly said as a couple nurses helped her into a wheel chair. The OB didn't look happy and was giving orders for tests and a operating room on stand-by.

"How far along are you?" The doctor asked as they wheeled Kelly into the elevator.

"Twenty-seven weeks. I've had a miscarriage before." Kelly said, her voice cracking. The doctor nodded but didn't respond or comment.

Happy looked down off the roof, wondering if they were getting any closer to avenging Opie's death. The man that Chibs had just shot was one of the men that had beaten their brother to death in Stockton. The road to revenge was getting bloodier and bloodier and he was starting to run out of places to bury bodies in Chigger Woods.

"Tara? What's wrong?" Happy asked, already on edge to see Tara's name on his phone screen. He noticed Jax looking over at him, a brow raised curiously. Tara did her best not to panic him, but it was no use. "Don't leave her side. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Is it the baby?" Chibs asked, looking over at his extremely tense brother. Happy nodded and walked past everyone, including the Grim Bastard's president, T.O.

"He has a kid on the way?" T.O. asked, shocked to even hear that Happy Lowman had knocked someone else, much less cared about anyone outside of the club. He watched as the Sons rode off quickly, leaving him and his club to deal with his own dead cousin.

Kelly whimpered as she waited for the test results. She knew something was wrong and that she and Meadow were both running out of time. Tara stayed by her side, refusing to leave her alone.

"Happy's on his way. You and Meadow are going to be okay." Tara wished she could promise that with any amount of certainty, but she knew enough about Kelly's medical history to know that there was a good chance what she said wasn't true. Kelly nodded and closed her eyes, wishing Meadow would just move the slightest bit.

"Mrs. Lowman, we're getting the operating room ready for you now. The baby looks okay right now, but we have to hurry." The doctor said, looking over at his colleague Dr. Knowles, letting her know that something was very wrong. Tara gave Kelly's hand a reassuring squeeze as nurses came into the room to take Kelly down for surgery.

"Tara, if anything happens to me." Kelly paused when Tara shook her head. "Listen. If anything happens to me, tell Happy I love him. Tell him I'm sorry and help him with Meadow, okay?"

"You're going to be fine, Kelly. We'll all be here waiting for you after surgery, okay?" Tara almost couldn't muster the words. She had seen that look on Dr. Cole's face few times before and it was never good.

Happy burst into the hospital's main doors, ignoring everyone who turned to look at him and his brothers. He only had his wife and daughter on his mind. Tara had texted him directions to find her and updated him a couple times during his ride. He knew that Kelly had been taken into surgery but hadn't heard anything else.

"Is she okay?" Happy asked. Tara looked up from the tiled floor and swallowed hard. She wasn't sure if she could answer that question yet. Happy took a couple steps forward. "Doc?"

"She's still in surgery, Happy. Meadow is in the NICU." Tara felt like she was going to be sick. She hadn't known Kelly nearly as long as Happy, but she still loved her like a sister.

"Why is Kelly still in surgery if they've already got the baby out?" Happy was growing louder, desperate to know what was going on. He could tell Tara was afraid to answer him directly. He looked over to see a middle aged man in scrubs walking into the small waiting room. Tara stood up quickly.

"Dr. Cole, this is Kelly's husband." Tara said quickly, motioning towards Happy. The doctor nodded and inhaled deeply.

"Your wife is a fighter. She lost a lot of blood but we were able to get it stopped. We're just waiting on her to wake up. Sometimes it can happen in a couple hours but sometimes it takes longer. We just have to give her time." Dr. Cole saw the man's throat tighten and knew his pain. He had lost his own wife during the delivery of their son.

"I need to see her." Happy said, realizing his voice was barely audible. He couldn't bare the thought of losing her again, for good.

"I understand. It will be a few minutes. Why don't you go with Dr. Knowles and meet your daughter?" Dr. Cole said, taking the risk of patting the menacing looking man's shoulder. Happy didn't like that the doctor was stalling. Tara walked towards the door Happy and the rest of the club had filed in through as Dr. Cole headed towards the door he'd come in through, each door on opposite sides of the room.

"Let's go see tha little lass, brother." Chibs said, clapping Happy on the back. He could tell how shaken his brother was. It was unnerving, to see the most unshakable of them all in such a vulnerable state.

"Alright." Happy said, walking past the concerned faces of the club. He didn't care if they thought he was being weak. It was his family, his world that was on the line. He followed Tara, unable to think about anything but Kelly.

"The oxygen and monitors aren't as scary as they looks. She's little but she's trying." Tara said, stopping at the window that looked into Meadow's room. Happy braced his hands on the glass, shocked by what he saw.

"She's too little." Happy said, not understanding how something that small could survive. She had wires, hoses and tubes hooked up all over her tiny little body. He watched her hand ball into the smallest of fists and he dropped his head, shaking it slowly.

Jax took Tara under his arm as Happy walked down the hall towards the exit sign. He knew something about what Happy was going through, so he understood his need for space and fresh air. Meadow was several weeks earlier than Able had been, but she looked better off. Chibs paused for a minute before following Happy outside.

"It's scary, seeing Happy scared." Tara said quietly. Jax nodded and kissed the top of her head. He wished there was something he could do for Kelly or the baby. He knew that Happy would never be the same if something happened to either of them.

"What am I supposed to do?" Happy asked, looking over at Chibs after a few minutes. His mind just didn't seem to go into drive. Normally he had a plan. Normally, he was in control.

"You just gotta be there, Hap. Doctors will do everything they can. You just gotta trust them." Chibs said, knowing that was a foreign concept to most of his brothers, himself included. The Sons of Anarchy rarely trusted what mattered in hands of others.

"Come get me if something changes." Happy said, sitting down on the concrete wall. Chibs hesitated, but nodded before heading back inside the hospital to give him some space. Happy put his elbows on his knees and tried to breathe. "Don't take them from me. I know I've done shit that can't be forgiven but I need them."

Happy closed his eyes, wondering if there was really anyone listening to him. He didn't really like to think about God much, considering all the things he'd done wrong in his life. On the other hand, he liked to think that Kozik was up there, happy to see the life he was making with Kelly.

"I know you miss her, brother. I need her here though. Please." Happy's voice broke and he felt like his chest was being torn in two. He looked up as the door in front of him opened, expecting bad news.

"She's awake and asking for you." Jax said, holding the door open. Happy moved quickly, not completely sure of where he was supposed to go. Tara was smiling as she opened greeted him in the hallway.

"Happy?" Kelly was hoarse and she hurt all over, but none of it mattered when she saw Happy. She was afraid she'd never get the chance again.

"I'm here, angel. I'm right here." Happy gently kissed her forehead before taking her head and sinking into the chair beside the bed. He felt sick from all of the emotions and worry that were washing over him.

"Have you seen Meadow? Is she okay?" Kelly struggled to speak but she needed to know. She had to know if they'd lost their baby.

"She's hooked up to a bunch of shit, baby." Happy hesitated and swallowed back his own fear. He hated lying to Kelly, but he couldn't see her so scared. "She's going to be okay, angel. She's okay."


	19. Chapter 19

Kelly stared out the window of her hospital room, wondering what she could have done differently. She'd been watching what she ate, keeping stress down as much as possible and had been doing more yoga than running. It was all in vain. She blamed herself for not realizing something was wrong sooner.

"Morning." Happy said, waking up from a less than comfortable position in the chair by Kelly's bed. She glanced over at him and nodded silently. "Talk to me, Kelly."

"There's nothing to talk about. I almost lost our child, again." Kelly shook her head and turned her gaze back to the window. She couldn't forgive herself for what she put Meadow or Happy through.

"You didn't do anything wrong, angel. Shit just happens." Happy didn't know how to make her stop beating herself up. He understood her fear and could even get the anger but there was no understanding the guilt she was feeling.

"Shit happens? Our daughter is in an incubator, fighting to live. She shouldn't have to fight. I was supposed to make sure she had a good life. I was supposed to keep her safe." Kelly angrily wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. Happy sighed and leaned forward.

"Kelly. You did nothing wrong, even the doctor said so. She's going to be fine." Happy still had trouble saying that Meadow would be fine. He had seen the tube down her throat and the way machines were helping her breathe.

"Mrs. Lowman, how are you feeling?" A nurse asked, walking in and putting a halt to Happy and Kelly's conversation. Kelly glanced over at the nurse and clinched her teeth.

"I'm fine." She said flatly. The nurse gave her a warm smile and documented her vital signs in the medical chart.

"Dr. Cole said that we can take you down to see Meadow after breakfast. She's beautiful. Looks just like you and Happy." The nurse said, smiling at the new parents. Kelly narrowed her eyes.

"You think now is a good time to hit on my husband? Really?" Kelly snapped, startling the nurse. Happy raised his brow, wondering where that had come from.

"I, uh, I wasn't. I was just saying that Meadow looks like him. She looks like both of you. I'm sorry. I'll check back with you after breakfast." The nurse darted out of the room, her cheeks a dark red color. Happy leaned back in his chair and looked at Kelly, trying to figure her out.

"What?" Kelly snapped at him. He pushed his toothpick to the corner of his mouth and shook his head. "She's probably at the nurse's station if you want to grab a quickie."

"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that to me, Kelly." Happy growled, his patience growing thin. Kelly bit her bottom lip gently, realizing what she'd said. The tears started streaming down her cheeks, just before the sobs rocked her body. Happy waited a moment before sitting on the side of the bed. "You're not in this alone, angel."

"I'm so sorry, Happy. I'm so sorry." Kelly sobbed, pressing her forehead into his shoulder. Happy pressed his lips into her hair, wishing he could take her pain away.

Tara quietly closed the door before Kelly or Happy could notice she was there. She'd just been to check on Meadow and wanted to speak with them, but she realized they needed some time alone. When Tara had Thomas, she yelled and begged for Jax, but he was miles away in Stockton. She had wanted no one but Jax, so she could only imagine what Kelly was going through now.

"How's the baby?" Jax asked, surprised to see Tara sitting at the desk on Kelly's floor. She looked up from the computer and shook her head.

"She's early, Jax. It's going to be a long road for all three of them. She's anemic, has a heart murmur and we're monitoring a bleed on her brain. It's not that uncommon from preemies at this stage, but it still isn't good." Tara said, wishing she had better news. Jax felt like the breath was being knocked out of him.

"Yeah, but Abel had a lot more working against him and he's fine now. Come on, Tara." Jax said, leaning over the desk.

"Come on, what, Jax? I can't just snap my fingers and make her better. Trust me, if I could then it would already be done." Tara looked up to see Happy walking towards them.

"She needs to see the baby." Happy said, knowing it was probably the only thing that could help Kelly. He saw the hesitation on Tara's face. "What?"

"It may not help her, Happy. Seeing Meadow hooked up to monitors and iv's may make her feel guilty." Tara jumped back as Happy's fist hit the counter. He pointed at her angrily.

"She didn't do anything to be guilty." He growled, his own stress and fear getting the best of him. Jax kept eye contact with Tara as he approached Happy.

"Brother, no one thinks Kelly did anything wrong." Jax said, shaking his head to emphasize his point. Happy closed his eyes and shook his head. "Go take a ride, get a shower. I'll sit with Kelly."

"Yeah, alright. I appreciate it." Happy said, turning to tell Kelly the plan. Jax looked at Tara and raised his brow.

"I don't know how, but you've got to make sure that baby is okay." He said, knowing nothing good would come out of Happy and Kelly losing their child. Tara felt like the weight of the world on her shoulders just doubled. She was going to say something, but Happy walked out of Kelly's room at the exact moment her mouth opened.

"Thank you, brother." Happy gave Jax a hug before heading to the elevator. He pressed the lobby button before quickly pressing the third flood button. The doors opened to pastel colored walls and a sterile smell in the air. He ignored the nurses watching him as he walked towards the NICU. "Hey, princess."

Meadow was still as tiny as Happy remembered. There was a nurse in the room with her, changing out an IV bag and making notes in a chart. Happy barely registered the woman's presence. All he could see was his little girl.

"You're a Lowman, princess. That means you've gotta learn to fight like one, okay? You do that for me and your Ma, baby." Happy said, pressing his palm against the glass. He refused to give up on her or Kelly. "I'll be back in a few minutes, okay?"

Jax walked into Kelly's room with a smile. She glanced over at him briefly before looking out the window, wondering if Herman was looking down on she and Meadow in that instant. Jax realized she wasn't in a good place and let his smile fade slowly as he sat down in the chair by the door.

"When Abel was born, I didn't even want to see him. I figured he wasn't going to make it, so if I didn't see him, it wouldn't hurt as much to lose him." Jax said, remembering the days he spent, wondering if his son was ever going to come home. Kelly pressed her lips into a thin line and looked over at him.

"I've lost a baby. It doesn't matter if you see them or not, losing a child hurts more than you could imagine." Kelly spoke through her teeth, trying to keep her voice down. Jax nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry, Kelly. Saint Thomas is a great hospital though. They aren't going to let anything happen to Meadow. It's when she gets out there that you've got to worry." Jax noticed that he'd gotten Kelly's attention. "Abel was kidnapped before he even turned one. I went crazy trying to find him. The funny thing is, when I did find him, I wondered if he wasn't better off without me."

"What are you trying to say?" Kelly asked, feeling defensive. She didn't know why Jax would say Meadow would be better off without her.

"I'm saying that it's hard to bring a kid into this world we live in." Jax said, hoping he was getting through to Kelly. She narrowed her eyes and pushed herself into a more, upright sitting position.

"I didn't choose for Herman to join the club, just like I didn't choose to meet Happy. I've seen what happens to people that stay close to the club, especially the Redwood Originals. Despite all of that, despite losing my own brother to some cartel bullshit, I'm here as long as Happy is. He's my family, he's the father of my daughter." Kelly didn't need the monitor by her bedside to tell her that her blood pressure was up, she could feel the pain starting at her temples.

Jax nodded as he rose to his feet. He didn't want to upset Kelly any more. He hadn't meant to upset her at all. Tara entered the room quickly as an alarm on the monitor went off.

"Go, Jax." Tara said as she rushed past him. Kelly was staring out of the window, trying to calm down. She realized Jax was only trying to comfort her. It was her own fear and uncertainty that she was angry about.

******Little Bird******SOA******Little Bird******

Kelly's hands were shaking as she reached into the plastic box. It had been three of the longest weeks of her life and she was finally getting to physically hold Meadow. Happy was by her side, refusing to miss being there for both of his girls, despite the brewing tensions between the club and the Chinese.

"She's still so little." Kelly whispered as she cradled Meadow against her chest. Happy nodded and helped her cover her bare chest with a sheet. The doctors explained that holding Meadow like this would comfort her and help her gain some weight. Happy didn't care to know the ins and outs of how the "kangaroo care" worked, he just cared that it helped his wife and daughter.

"She's got your eyes, baby." Happy loved seeing her open her eyes and look around the room. Kelly smiled and felt her whole body relax. This was exactly what she'd been missing since the doctors had to take Meadow.

"I'm sorry for putting you through hell the past few weeks, Happy. I know you have a lot going on with the club." Kelly whispered, knowing that the soothing tones would prevent Meadow from becoming stressed. Happy shook his head as he ran his thumb over the bottom of they baby's foot.

"Everything that matters is in this room, angel." He didn't want to talk about the bloodshed or the challenges he and the club were up against. Kelly gave him a small smile before looking back down upon her daughter. There was a loud knock against the glass window and Meadow tensed against her mother's chest.

"Happy." Kelly whispered as he headed for the door. She knew he was as angry as she was scared. She'd heard enough about the Chinese the club dealt with to know that one of them coming to the hospital wasn't good.

"Are you trying to get shot in a hospital?" Happy growled, not giving a single damn about the rank the man held with Lin's crew. He had crossed a line, coming to the hospital.

"Easy, easy. I'm just here to pass on a message. We are accepting the club's truce, for now. Just make sure your club holds up your side. I'd hate for anything to happen to innocent women or children. Tell your president that we'll be in touch." Happy's nostrils were flaring and his hand was itching to reach for his Glock. The Chinese knew where to find Jax or even Chibs. Coming to tell Happy, the newly appointed Sergeant of Arms about the truce was a scare tactic and Happy didn't take well to having his family threatened.

Kelly let her head fall back as she looked at the dim light above her. She hated that no matter how much they tried to keep their personal life and the club's problems separated, they always had a way of crashing together. Happy leaned his back against the glass, the reaper on the back of his cut looming over his family. Kelly looked away from it and held Meadow closely. She couldn't let the club take away anyone else she loved.

We're going to divert quite heavily from the show going forward. Just a heads up.


	20. Chapter 20

Happy opened the car door for Kelly, scanning the yard and both ends of the street as she got out. It was Meadow's first day home and both Kelly and Happy were on edge. Things hadn't gotten much better with the Chinese in the past four weeks after the messenger came to the hospital.

"Welcome home, baby." Kelly cooed as she unfastened the car seat and carefully maneuvered it out of the small back seat. Happy looked on proudly.

"We need to get you a bigger car, Momma." Happy said rubbing her lower back. She gave him a smile over her shoulder as they walked inside. Meadow was awake and actively taking in her surroundings. "No boys in the house until you're thirty."

"I think you may need to remind her in a few years, baby. She needs to eat. Do you mind making some tea while I feed her?" Kelly asked, lifting Meadow out of the car seat. Happy nodded and pressed a gentle kiss onto his daughter's forehead.

Happy turned the stove eye on and leaned against the counter, waiting for the kettle to whistle so he could catch it before the noise upset Meadow. He took his phone out of his pocket, checking for any missed messages or calls while he waited. The laptop on the counter chimed, catching his attention. He knew Kelly was waiting on an email about extended maternity leave.

Kelly heard the kettle whistle and cradled Meadow against her, hoping Happy would take it off the eye quickly. The whistle got louder and louder while Meadow started fidgeting and whining, just like she always did with too loud noises. Kelly sighed and placed the fussy baby in the crib so she wouldn't be exposed to the whistling any louder.

"Happy! Can you hear the whistle?" Kelly asked, quickly moving the kettle to a cool eye. She glanced back to see him bent over the laptop. Her heart stopped. "Babe?"

"You weren't going to say anything about applying at Tacoma General?" Happy asked rereading the email for the tenth time. Kelly frowned, wishing he hadn't found out that way. "You planning on taking my kid as soon as she gets home?"

"Happy, we aren't going anywhere without you. You said yourself, things aren't getting any better in Charming. I applied for consideration if they had an opening and I had the need for the job at the same time, that's all. We need to seriously consider Tacoma, Hap." Kelly knew he was pissed and she couldn't blame him. She should have talked to him about applying before he found the email.

"Damnit, Kelly. You think I haven't put in a transfer request? Lee's been on my ass about getting you and Meadow out of Charming ever since she was born. All the reasons we want to go to Tacoma are the same reasons I can't right now." Happy shook his head and slid the computer towards Kelly. "Apparently they miss you up there though. They offered you a management job."

"I'm not leaving without you, Happy. Meadow needs both of her parents and I need you, Hap." Kelly moved towards him and slowly took his hand. "For better or worse, Happy."

Happy kissed her lips, finally finding that heat they'd been missing since Meadow was born. He deepened the kiss, pulling her hips over to him. She moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck, realizing how much she'd missed him in that way. She felt a vibration against her chest before he pulled away slowly.

"They said the baby would be a cock blocker." Kelly mumbled as she walked down the hall to the nursery. She had little doubt that Happy would have to go somewhere and do something for the club. "Full tummy and nap time, huh?"

Meadow was sleeping soundly as Happy walked into the nursery and wrapped his arms around Kelly's waist. She placed a hand over his interlocked hands and tilted her head back.

"I've got to help Jax find Tara and the boys. He thinks she's out in Lodi." Happy said, kissing her neck gently. She moaned and wished he wasn't leaving already. She knew it was important to the club that Tara was found though. She'd made it pretty clear that she was getting out with the boys, one way or another. Kelly envied her in some ways.

"Be careful, babe. I love you." Kelly said, turning around to give him a proper kiss goodbye. Happy cupped her cheek in his hand and gave her a lingering kiss, none to thrilled about leaving both of them unsatisfied.

******Little Bird******SOA******Little Bird******

"How did it go?" Kelly asked as Happy got into bed beside her. She'd just put Meadow down and had been so focused on listening to the baby monitor that she didn't hear Happy get home.

"Complicated. Jax is turning himself in for the gun that little kid used to shoot up the school and Tara is taking the boys." Happy said, feeling overwhelmed by the day he'd had. He rolled over and put his hand on Kelly's hip. "How did things go with Meadow?"

"Pretty good. She was a little fussy and hard to get down but I think she was just tired." Kelly paused, resting her hand on his bare chest. "So, what does this change look like for the club, with Jax locked up?"

"Chibs will take the gavel. That's the only thing that's certain." Happy said, wishing he had a better answer for her. Kelly nodded and scooted closer to him.

"Can I see Tara before she leaves? I want to say goodbye." Kelly said, hoping her hand exploring his torso would convince him to say yes. He nodded before catching her lips in a kiss. Kelly pushed his shoulders down onto the mattress and moved on top of him.

They took their time, relearning one another's body. Kelly still had some insecurities about the baby weight and small stretch marks on her stomach, but all Happy saw was the woman he loved and the mother of his daughter. He was careful and deliberate with his every move, not wanting to hurt her or miss out on any moment to savor. He knew that having a baby in the house would severely cut down on their sex life, so he wasn't taking anything for granted.

"Damnit." Kelly groaned, just as she got back into bed after taking a quick, post-sex shower. Happy kissed her lips before getting out of bed.

"I'll get her. Get some sleep." Happy said, pulling the door closed behind him. He straightened his sweatpants as he walked the short way down the hall to Meadow's nursery. "Hey, you're alright. I got you."

Meadow continued to cry, but Happy could tell a difference as soon as he picked her up. At that point, it was more fussing than feral screaming. He sat in the rocking chair they'd brought up from his Ma's storage building and cradled Meadow against him. Looking into her blue eyes made him wonder if she and Kelly going to Tacoma without him would be such a bad thing after all.

"You and your Momma are everything to me, princess. I can't think about a day without you both in it. I promise, things don't change for the better, we'll all three leave, club or not." Happy never thought he could say those words and mean them. It was why he was so hesitant about having an old lady in the first place; he knew that one day, they'd want that and he'd never be able to do it. Kelly was different though, he would do anything, change everything just to keep her safe and happy. Now, with Meadow added to the mix, he knew there was no other choice. He had to do what was right by her if nothing else.

******Little Bird******

"Kelly, what are you doing here?" Tara asked, expecting Jax and the boys instead of the blonde in her doorway. Kelly pulled the hood off her head as she walked inside, not oblivious to the irony in the weather outside and what was going on with Jax and Tara.

"I wasn't really sure if I'd get the chance to say goodbye after today. I would have come over earlier but I had to wait on Happy so he could watch Meadow." Kelly said, hugging Tara tightly. She was never all that close with other old ladies, but Tara was different. In some ways, she reminded Kelly of Mary.

"You mean you don't blame me? I can't stop thinking about what Gemma will do when she finds out we're leaving. Part of me thinks she'll track me down and take the boys." Tara said, sitting down on the couch. Kelly nodded, thinking how accurate that probably was.

"Well, hopefully you'll have enough head start that she can't find you. The club, no matter how fucked up it is, will protect you and the boys. Happy told me Jax agreed with what you're doing. He wouldn't let the club help Gemma get in the way of that." Kelly said with a reassuring smile. Tara looked up as the dryer bell went off.

"That's the boys' blankets. I'll be right back." Tara said, brushing a tear off her cheek as she stood up. Kelly leaned back and wondered if she was ever going to be in Tara's position, leaving the club to keep her children safe. She'd heard what Happy had told Meadow, thanks to the baby monitors. If there was one thing she was certain of, it was that if she and Meadow left, it wouldn't be without Happy. Kelly looked down from the ceiling as headlights passed over the window.

She was just getting up to give Tara a final farewell when she heard heels clicking on the sidewalk. Kelly swallowed hard, wondering if Gemma knew what was going to happen. Without thinking, she yanked the front door open, her right hand on the Glock behind her back.

"Where's Tara?" Gemma asked, unpleasantly surprised to see Kelly opening the door. The blonde had her booted foot behind the door defensively. "She's trying to take those boys from me."

"From you, Gemma? She's taking the boys away from everything that's killing the club, everything that could kill them." Kelly said, refusing to let Gemma try and intimidate Tara into staying.

"They are my family!" Gemma shouted, shoving the door to try and force her way inside. Kelly shook her head, her knee throbbing from the impact the door had made with it.

"They won't be your family if they're dead, Gemma! Trust me, I'd rather know that Herman was safe half-way around the world where I could never see him again opposed to him dying. You've got to make that sacrifice, Gemma. Let them go." Kelly had heard Tara walk back into the living room, but hoped Gemma couldn't see her.

"Don't you talk to me about sacrifice!" Gemma said, pulling a revolver out of her large, black bag. Kelly saw her go for it, but it was too late. If she went for her Glock after Gemma already had her gun drawn, she'd be crazy.

"Gemma! What are you doing? Put the gun away!" Tara yelled, hurrying to the door. Kelly swallowed hard and removed her foot that was preventing Gemma from getting inside. She didn't like being on this side of a gun, especially one in the hands of Gemma Teller-Morrow.

"You! You can't take those boys from me! How dare you! You ratted on your own husband just to hurt me!" Gemma moved her gun to Tara in a fit of rage. Kelly saw her finger move to the trigger and reacted. She didn't even realize what she'd done before she fell, crashing to the floor on top of Tara.

"Mom! Jesus Christ! Tara!" Jax rushed inside his home to see his mother's quivering hand holding a revolver.

"Jax! Jax you've got to call an ambulance. Please!" Tara yelled, checking Kelly's pulse. Her blue eyes were barely open as visions of Happy and Meadow swam in front of her. Tara grabbed one of the blankets that she'd gotten out of the dryer and pressed it onto Kelly's chest. The blood had already turned the front of her white shirt a deep, wet red.

"Kelly, stay with me. Stay with me, Kelly." Tara said as red lights and sirens filled the otherwise quiet street. Kelly felt like she was choking. Everything was brighter than it should have been and the noises of the sirens and people talking to her seemed so far away.

Happy moved Meadow over to his left arm as he reached in his pocket to retrieve his phone. He knew Jax should have just gotten home, so he was sure it was Kelly calling to tell him she was on her way home.

"Hey angel." He said, not bothering to look at the screen before cradling the phone between his shoulder and his ear.

"Happy, you have to get to Saint Thomas." Happy stood up quickly. He heard sirens in the background, but couldn't understand what happened. She'd just gone to say goodbye. "Happy?"

He snapped the phone shut, not bothering to waste the time talking to Jax when he needed to get to the hospital. Meadow started to cry as he grabbed his truck keys and ran into the garage. He didn't have the car seat, it was in Kelly's Audi. He looked around quickly trying to figure out a way to keep Meadow safe and drive quickly at the same time.

"Fuck." He yanked the door open and climbed into the truck, holding Meadow against him with his left arm. There was no doubt Kelly would kill him for what he was about to do. "Stay still."

Happy cradled Meadow against him with one arm while shifting and steering with the other. He was all over the road, Meadow was crying and he couldn't think about anything other than getting to Kelly. He had to get there. She had to be okay.

"Happy! Let me take her." Chibs offered, reaching for Meadow. Happy hesitated, unsure if he could.

"No one else touches her. No one." Happy said, gently passing her into his brother's arms. Jax was on the opposite side of the room, holding Tara against his chest. Happy saw the blood on her arms as he approached them. "What happened?"

"She saved me, Happy. Gemma had the gun pointed at me. I thought I was gone. I heard the shot and then came crashing down on the floor." Tara sobbed and Happy clenched his fists. "She knocked me out of the way."

"How bad is it?" Happy asked. Jax shook his head and Tara sobbed harder. "Jax."

"It hit her in the chest, brother. They've got her in surgery now. I'm so sorry." Jax said as Happy turned away, nodding slowly. As angry as he was, as much as he wanted to do something, he knew it was out of his hands. He resigned himself to helping the only person he could.

"Hey, princess." Happy said, taking Meadow and sitting down next to Chibs. He felt a hand on his back and nodded, thankful that Chibs knew he didn't want to talk. Talking wouldn't fix anything. "You're okay."

Hours went by with no news from the doctors on how Kelly was. Unser had stopped by, offering his support. Happy had a hard time not shooting him right there in the middle of the waiting room, but he knew the shot would damage Meadow's hearing, not to mention make her cry. Happy never liked Unser and he had a suspicion that he was the reason Gemma even knew about Tara leaving with the boys.

"I think ya little one may need ta be changed." Chibs said, patting her damp diaper. Happy sighed, knowing the diaper bag was at home. "Relax, brother. I'll go sweet talk a nurse in ta doin' it. Nurses love babies."

"Thank you, brother." Happy squeezed his shoulder before turning to Juice who was hurrying into the waiting room. "Anything?"

Jax, Happy and the rest of the club that wasn't on a diaper changing mission listened as Juice made a list of all the dead in's he'd run into while looking for Gemma. In the chaos of Kelly bleeding out on the Teller's floor, she'd made a run for it. Jax had no misconceptions about what would happen to his mother once she was found. Happy had told him months ago, if he didn't handle it, Happy would.

"Mr. Lowman?" Everyone turned to see the young doctor, who Kelly had worked so many shifts with, standing in the doorway of the waiting room. Happy had never felt more sick to his stomach as he did when his feet started moving him towards Dr. Cooke.

Cliffhangers of all cliffhangers, I know. Reviews are motivation, I'm just saying! The run in with Lin's lackey at the hospital from last chapter will be addressed in the coming chapters as we see how Happy deals with the aftermath of this! PS, if you didn't notice, this chapter saved Tara and all but sealed Gemma's fate. As for Kelly, well, like I said, reviews sure are motivating.


	21. Chapter 21

Let me start by apologizing for any typos or errors. I tried to proof read this chapter but I was too excited to post it to really do a thorough job. Please, enjoy and thank you so so much for the reviews.

Happy couldn't focus on what the doctor was saying after he said that she was still in critical condition. He caught that the bullet had damaged a main artery and that she'd lost a lot of blood. After that, he struggled to catch every fourth or sixth word. Tara was by his side, asking questions and discussing everything that Happy zoned out for.

"You can see her for a few minutes, Happy." Tara hesitantly put her hand on his bicep to get his attention. "She's in a medical coma but you can see her."

"Yeah. Alright." Happy said, blinking slowly. Tara had seen families in shock enough to know that what Happy was going through was something different entirely. His eyes were dull and dark. His shoulders were tensed and his posture reminded Tara of something she'd seen on National Geographic. He was like a lion that had been backed into a corner, ready to attack anything that threatened him or his girls.

Happy closed the door and leaned his back against it. The woman in the hospital bed barely resembled his wife. Kelly had an almost godly glow to her tan skin where this woman was pale and cyanotic. Her eyelids were dark where Kelly's eyes were always bright, alert and happy.

"You aren't supposed to be here, angel. You aren't supposed to get hurt." Happy approached her and slid his hand beneath her hair, cupping her cheek with his palm. "Get better, baby. Our daughter needs you. Damnit, Kelly, I need you."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Lowman, the Sheriff is asking to talk to you." Dr. Cooke said, feeling guilty for hearing the man's private words to Kelly. Happy closed his eyes to keep from killing the messenger. "She's getting the best care possible."

"Thanks. I need to know the second anything changes." Happy said, running his thumb over her cheekbone before stepping away. Dr. Cooke nodded with a reassuring smile. Happy left the room and immediately felt like he'd left part of himself in that room with Kelly.

"Who are you?" Happy asked the brunette sheriff that was standing just inside the waiting room doors. Happy glanced at the gold bars on her lapel and narrowed his eyes. "Roosevelt run?"

"He took early retirement after what happened to his wife, I'm sure you can understand." Althea Jarry had just enough time to familiarize herself with Happy Lowman's file before she came to the hospital. It was her first day as Sheriff in Charming and it was already starting off with a bang. Happy grunted, biting his tongue from putting the sheriff in her place.

"What do you want? I wasn't there when she was shot." Happy said, folding his arms over his chest. He caught Chibs and Meadow entering the waiting room out of the corner of his eye.

"No, I know that. You are part of the Sons of Anarchy, right?" Happy glared at her, hoping it was a rhetorical question. He was wearing his leather cut right in front of her. "Do you know anyone that would want to hurt your wife? Anyone that may be trying to hurt the club?"

"Kelly is a nurse. No one should want to hurt her." Happy said, choosing his words carefully. Jarry nodded and closed her notebook. She took a step towards him, realizing just how much taller he was.

"Look, I get that there's a code that you men live by but this is your wife we're talking about. If you know something and don't let me help you, she may not get as lucky next time. What comes first, Lowman? The club or the mother of your child?" Happy visualized himself grabbing the sheriff by the throat and slamming her against the wall until she stopped talking. Jarry saw that fury in his eyes.

"Happy, I think tha babe wants her da." Chibs said, arriving just as Happy contemplated telling Jarry to go fuck off. Meadow blinked up at her father as he took her into his arms. "I think ya may want ta give him some space, love."

"You need to work with me, give me something to work with. I don't care what that looks like, Scotty." Jarry said, raking her eyes over the man. Happy rolled his eyes and made a face at Meadow to get her to smile. Chibs brow raised as he watched Jarry walk away.

"She's a lovely ray of sunshine." Chibs said sarcastically. Happy grunted and walked over to where Jax and Juice were speaking. "What is it, Jacky Boy?"

"Tara isn't making the deal with the D.A." Jax said with exasperation. Happy shook his head and moved Meadow to his other arm.

"Doesn't make any sense. Charming ain't any safer than it was six hours ago." Happy said darkly. Jax nodded, agreeing with every word he said. On the other hand, it meant that he could finish what he started and get the club out of what was killing them. "What did she tell the cop?"

"Burglary gone wrong. She's been around long enough to come up with a cover story." Jax said, saddened that she had to in the first place. Happy nodded, knowing he'd never get to Gemma if the cops were looking for her to. Juice glanced down at his phone that was making an awful siren noise.

"That makes my daughter cry and I'll cram it down your throat." Happy growled, pushing Juice away with his booted foot. Juice scrambled to pull the phone out of his pocket and silence the notification. He looked at the message on the screen and then back up to Happy and Jax.

"Just got a hit on Gemma's credit card in Stockton. You think she's going to Nero?" Juice said, handing his phone to Jax.

"He gets in my way and I'll kill him while Gemma watches." Happy said flatly. Jax and Juice looked over at him. "She was warned."

"I hear you, Hap, but she's still my mother." Jax said with a frown. Happy just stared at him.

"Meadow's mother may die because of your psycho-bitch mother. I'm doing this, with or without your permission." Happy passed Meadow over to Chibs and straightened his leather. "Don't forget, she was aiming for your wife when she shot Kelly."

"Brother, I'll come with you." Chibs said, stepping forward. Happy shook his head.

"No." Happy said, squeezing Meadow's foot. "Watch my princess for me. She likes you."

"Aye. Be careful." Chibs said clapping Happy on the shoulder. Jax was torn. Gemma had done some horrible things in the past, including being a part of his father's death and now shooting Kelly, but she was still his mother. Happy saw the anguish in his eyes and turned away, unable to muster any sympathy.

******Little Bird*******SOA*******Little Bird******

Kelly opened her eyes just long enough to see the tile ceiling of the hospital room before they fell closed again. She felt weak and detached from her own body. Everything was fuzzy and she couldn't discern reality from the drug induced dream state she was in.

"Hey, little birdy. What are you doing?" She recognized Herman's voice immediately. He was sitting on the bench by the lake they'd gone to frequently.

"Herman." Kelly's voice cracked, unable to control it. She knew it wasn't real, knew it was a dream that she'd have to wake up from. "I miss you."

"Come on, aren't you the one that always said shit happens for a reason? If I didn't kick the bucket, you never would have talked to Hap again. Now you've got my niece. No offense but she's a prettier baby than you were." His smile was bright and playful, just like Kelly loved to remember it. She didn't care that it was all in her head, she was happy to see him again.

"I wish she could have met you. Happy and I are the only family she's got." Kelly said with a frown. She'd always hoped to see Herman come over on Christmas morning to play with his niece or nephew.

"Bullshit, Kelly. She's got plenty of uncles there. It wouldn't be fair if I was around to steal her attention. Chibs loves kids and Thomas won't be too much older than her." Kelly sighed as the image of him started to fade.

"I love you, Herman." Kelly said with a smile. He stood up and nodded, pulling her in for a hug she couldn't feel.

"I love you, Kelly Kozik Lowman." Kelly pulled back to see his smile one more time, but he was gone, the dream was over.

"Shit! Code blue! I need the code team in here!" Dr. Cooke said as Kelly's heartbeat slowed suddenly and her chest stopped rising and falling. The room filled with doctors and nurses, all working furiously to save her life.

******Little Bird******SOA******Little Bird******

Happy zipped his hooded jacket and pulled the hood over his head as he walked towards the motel that Gemma had used her debit card at. He casually walked over to her car and set his hand on the hood; it was still warm. The curtains were drawn in all the windows and he could hear some over exaggerated moaning and screaming coming from behind the door in front of him.

There were at least thirty rooms Gemma could be in and he was in no mood to go door to door. Happy pulled his combat knife and plunged it into one of the front tires. The alarm blared and he watched the windows, waiting for the sign. It only took about a minute for him to know exactly what room Gemma was hiding in. If you're hiding out, you don't look out the window, no matter what.

Happy stood in front of the door, considering whether or not to giver her a chance to open it for him. He tapped his thumb against his belt for a second before kicking the door in the sweet spot just to the left of the door knob. The wood splintered loudly as the door swung open.

"Should have known you'd be here." Happy said, looking at Wayne Unser. The old man had a gun aimed right at Happy's chest. "You'd be a lot more intimidating if you weren't shaking."

"It was an accident, Happy. Gemma never meant to hurt Kelly." Unser said, hoping she'd stay in the bathroom like he told her. Happy was the scariest man Wayne Unser had met in his thirty plus years in law enforcement. He was calculating and cold. Wayne had considered him a borderline sociopath until he'd seen the man with Kelly Kozik. In that moment, his fear of Happy Lowman almost doubled. He knew that if a man like that loved anything or anyone, he would be completely unpredictable.

"First rule of gun safety is not putting your finger on the trigger unless you're going to shoot." Happy said, indirectly pointing out that Wayne's finger was still outside the trigger guard. "If you stay in my way, I'll kill you."

"Now, think about it. You don't want to serve a life sentence for this. What about your wife and daughter?" Happy's eyes flashed at the mention of his daughter and he had his gun drawn before Wayne even realized what was happening.

"Move. Now." Happy said, bringing his left hand up to steady his aim. He'd made sure to put the suppressor on the barrel before coming upstairs and it changed the weight of the gun.

"Happy-" Wayne crumpled to the floor before he could continue. Happy glanced at the lifeless man for a moment before stepping over him and making his way to the bathroom where Gemma was no doubt hiding. He opened the door to yet another gun aimed at him.

"That the same gun?" Happy asked. Gemma looked down from Happy to look at the gun with a frown. While she was distracted, Happy grabbed her wrist and quickly disarmed her.

"You didn't have to kill him!" Gemma said, sobbing as she caught sight of Unser's body. Happy didn't bother looking back at the corpse.

"You brought him into this. You knew I'd come." Happy said, glad to see her upset by her friend's death. He backed out of the bathroom and grabbed Gemma's burner phone out of her purse.

"What are you doing?" Gemma asked as he sent a message. Happy closed the phone and dropped it into his pocket.

"Solving a problem your boyfriend mentioned." He said, not bothering to give her any further explanation. Gemma bit her lip, wondering if this was really how she was going to go, after all these years. She blinked a couple times and met Happy's eyes.

"That's not a Glock." Gemma said, noticing the bright, stainless steel gun. Happy was known for carrying Glocks and they were never flashy. He nodded and motioned towards the bed. Gemma stared at him as she slowly back up and sat down on the end of the bed.

"If you'd only used that brain earlier, we wouldn't be here." Happy said with a dark smirk. "You know, if more people wore gloves when they handled their weapons, there would be no fingerprints to go off of."

"What are you waiting for? Just kill me. Get it over with. You never talk this much." Gemma said, her fear coming out as frustration. Happy laughed and nodded.

"I don't have time to rip your nails off your fingers and it isn't really their style anyway." Happy moved over to the window and saw no movement. He turned back to Gemma and lowered his aim, striking her twice in the chest, making sure to space them out enough to hide his expert marksmanship. She wasn't dead, yet, but he knew no one would call for help. He dropped the gun and kicked it beneath the bed.

Happy couldn't feel anything as he drove back to the hospital. He was still completely numb. His senses were heightened and he rode back the long way, doubling back from Lodi on purpose. He smirked as blue lights lit up behind him.

"Where's the fire?" The officer asked placing a hand on the truck's side mirror. Happy narrowed his eyes and slowly looked up from the officer's hand to his face.

"My wife was shot earlier. I had to go home and get the diaper bag, now she's getting worse." Happy had gotten a message from Chibs, letting him know he needed to get back to the hospital. The officer looked inside the truck to see the purple and pink diaper bag sitting beside Happy.

"I'll escort you down to St. Thomas." The officer said, hurrying back to his squad car. Happy nodding, knowing his alibi was all but sealed. He was glad he'd remembered to zip the bag closed after putting the license plate he'd borrowed back on the abandoned car in Stockton. The officer probably would have been curious as to why there was a screwdriver in the diaper bag.

As soon as Happy stepped foot in the hospital, all of his emotions came crashing back down on him. The fear of losing the love of his life, the anger towards Gemma, the regret of letting her go over to Tara's alone, it all came back in a wave. Happy felt like an elephant was jumping on his chest.

"Look, there's your da, princess." Chibs said, turning towards Happy. Meadow looked up into her father's dark eyes and he got a grip. He knew that no matter what he was dealing with and no matter what happened, he had to be there for their daughter. He couldn't fall apart on her.

"Happy, Kelly just woke up. She's asking for you." Dr. Cooke said, losing all professionalism as he burst into the waiting room. Happy smiled down at Meadow and carried her back behind the double doors to Kelly.

"Hey there, little bird." Happy said with a uncontrollable smile. Kelly's color had started to return and she looked alive. Happy knew she wasn't out of the woods just yet, but he had a feeling, for the first time in his life, that everything was going to be okay.


	22. Chapter 22

Kelly could barely keep her eyes open but she did the best she could. Happy sat down beside her, holding her hand. He cradled Meadow against him with his other arm. Kelly tried to smile, letting him know how happy she was to see them both. Her smile was overtaken by the tears running down her cheeks. She was so scared. She thought she'd never see them again.

"Happy. I'm sorry." She managed to whisper. Her throat was raw from the tubes that had been in place during surgery. Happy shook his head and gave her hand a slight squeeze, hoping not to hurt her.

"Baby, you've got nothing to apologize for. You were protecting Tara. I shouldn't have let you go there alone." Happy had to swallow the lump in his throat. He refused to show any weakness in front of Kelly. She needed him to be strong.

"It isn't your fault." Kelly struggled to get the words out before her eyes started to close. "I'm so sleepy."

"Get some rest. I'm not leaving you." Happy said, stroking her hand with his thumb. She managed to open her eyes just long enough to see him give her a smile before she fell back to sleep. Meadow tucked her head against his neck and started falling asleep as well. He turned his head just enough to plant a kiss in her hair. After both of them were sound asleep, there was a soft knock on the door. Happy looked over to see Tara slip inside and close the door quietly behind her.

"She looks better. Dr. Cooke said they expect her to make a full recovery. If she gets through the next 48-hours without any set backs, she could go home by the end of the week." Tara said quietly, not wanting to wake Kelly or Meadow. Happy nodded. Tara looked at him for a minute, wondering what he was thinking. She had expected him to be, for lack of a better word, happy about the news.

"You're really staying?" Happy asked, glancing over as she nodded. He shook his head slightly, careful not to disturb his daughter. "Look at her, Tara. That could have been you. You had a chance to get out clean, with your kids."

"I know. This made me realize that the boys need their father, regardless of what he does to put food on the table. He's getting the club straight again and I'm assuming Gemma isn't going to be around much anymore." She refused to ask him what had happened to Gemma. She didn't want to know.

"Gemma may not be but she's not your only problem. Everyone the club or Jax has ever crossed could target our families at any time." Happy said, speaking to himself as much as he was Tara. He was determined to prevent anything from ever happening to his girls again. He'd already failed them enough. He wasn't going to let it happen again.

Tara didn't know what to say. She knew he was right but she never expected to hear him say it. She'd seen the way he changed when Kelly came around and even more so now that Meadow was born. Meadow wiggled around, trying to get comfortable again. Tara watched how careful and loving Happy was as he moved her onto his chest and leaned back so she could sleep. Without another word, she left the family to have some privacy and rest.

********Little Bird******SOA******Little Bird******

"How did it go?" Kelly asked, rolling over to see Happy walking into their bedroom. She'd been home for about a week but still wasn't back to 100%. She got tired easily and still had some pain if she lifted anything heavier than Meadow. Happy toed his boots off and continued undressing as Kelly watched.

"Okay. Jax doesn't really talk to me. He'll talk at me but that's about it." Happy said, walking past the bed to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He'd stayed after church to talk to Jax about whether or not him being his Sergeant of Arms was a good idea anymore. Ever since Happy had returned to the hospital after dealing with Gemma, Jax had hardly spoken to him. Happy knew Jax would be upset about his mother but, like Happy told him, she had plenty of warnings.

"What about everything else?" Kelly asked, pulling the covers back for him. He got into bed and turned to his side so he could face her.

"I told you not to worry about it, angel. They've already picked Lin's guy up. He'll be going into County soon. There won't be any blowback from the cops and Lin is already begging Jax for forgiveness. He said he had no idea about what his guy was planning." Happy said, explaining how everything with the investigation into Unser and Gemma's deaths was going. He pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and then ran his hand down her arm. "How'd you do today?"

"Same, I guess. Meadow didn't want to nap so she should sleep most the night." Kelly pulled her bottom lip in and dropped her eyes from Happy's.

"What, baby?" Happy asked, knowing something was on her mind. She sighed and slowly looked at him.

"I miss you." She said quietly. Happy furrowed his brow for a moment before he understood what she meant. He kissed her lips gently and laced his fingers in with hers.

"I'm not going to risk hurting you." He said softly. Kelly rolled her eyes and he grabbed her chin. "Hey. If it wouldn't hurt you, I'd be inside you all night, girl. You aren't the only one that wants it."

"Yeah but I'm the only one that doesn't spend the day with croweaters and Diosa girls." Kelly regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. Happy's face became void of any emotion and he dropped his hand from her. "Happy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I know you aren't doing anything with them."

"You sure fooled me." He growled, rolling over to his back. Kelly sighed, knowing she'd messed up. She trusted him, she was just frustrated. She couldn't think of anything to say to make it right. Instead, she ran her hand up from his thigh to his boxers. "Kelly."

Happy groaned as she stroked him over his thin boxers. He was pissed that she accused him of messing with the croweaters and escorts. He hadn't even thought about them until she brought them up. He wasn't blind, he saw them but they were just part of the background, insignificant. Kelly continued to stroke him until he grabbed her wrist. She bit her bottom lip, unsure what was going to happen next.

"Go to sleep." Happy growled, letting go of her wrist and turning away. Kelly's eyes were swimming in tears. He'd never turned her down when she wanted to fool around, not since just before he left Tacoma. Her mouth went dry just thinking about it. Had she crossed the line too far and pushed him away forever? She wondered if she had just destroyed her family out of insecurity.

"Happy." He heard her voice crack and rolled over to face her again. Happy ran his thumb over her cheek, wiping away tears only to have them replaced with more. He was still mad but couldn't handle seeing her upset.

"Why are you crying, girl? You want me to hurt you? Angel, stop crying." Happy said, gently pushing her down onto her back. He hovered over her and kissed her lips. They were salty with tears. He moved from her lips to her neck and peppered her soft skin with kisses. "Tell me if it hurts and I'll stop, Kelly."

"Okay." She whispered with a slight nod. He kissed her jaw before sitting back on his knees. Kelly took his hand and sat up, letting him pull his own t-shirt off her body. He saw the scar above her left breast and all the anger towards Gemma and guilt for letting her down came crashing back down over him. Kelly reached up and put her hand on his cheek. "It's okay."

Happy dropped his eyes from her wound and took a nipple into his mouth, circling it slowly with his tongue. Kelly moaned softly and moved her hand from his cheek to his bicep. She closed her eyes and tried to ignore the pain radiating in her chest from the change in her breathing. She felt him push her panties down her legs before he lifted himself up slightly and did away with his boxers.

Every thrust sent both pleasure and pain through Kelly's body. She covered up her whimpers with moans and tried to focus on the good. She dug her fingers into Happy's biceps and moaned loudly when she in fact wanted to cry. Happy finished a few thrusts later, kissing her lips before slowly pulling out of her.

Happy laid awake in bed as Kelly fell asleep with her back against his chest. He knew she'd faked it. He'd given her enough orgasms to know that she didn't have one, she didn't even come close. He wished she had just told him to stop. He told her to tell him if it hurt. Happy kissed her shoulder and closed his eyes, knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep.

Kelly woke up to an empty bed. She ran her hand over the sheets and found that they were cold. He'd been out of bed for some time.

"Hey." She said, slowly walking into the kitchen where he was feeding Meadow. He didn't look at her but nodded his head. "Have you eaten?"

"No." He said, glancing over at her. "You need to take the job in Tacoma. I can get someone to help you with Meadow until you're better and watch her when you're at work."

"What? You're talking like you aren't coming." Kelly felt her heart in her throat as Happy nodded.

"I'm not. You'll both be safe there. Take the job, Kelly." Happy said, patting Meadow's back to burp her. Kelly shook her head.

"No. I'm not going anywhere without you, Happy." She narrowed her eyes at him. She knew why he was doing this. She shouldn't have pushed him last night. She should have just let him sleep off being mad at her.

"You're going to Tacoma, Kelly. I'll visit every few weeks." He said, placing Meadow down in her pack and play. Kelly shook her head and crossed her arms.

"Fuck you if you think our daughter is growing up with a part-time father. You don't want me here then fine but you aren't hurting our daughter because of it." Kelly snapped, keeping her voice down as to not disturb Meadow.

"Not want you here? Damnit, Kelly. Just listen to me, for once. Leave. Take Meadow and go so that both of you can have a fucking future. This," He grabbed at his leather cut, "this is what I need to focus on."

"Stop!" Kelly yelled, giving up on keeping her voice down. Happy scowled at her and glanced back at Meadow. "Stop lying! Stop trying to push us away, damnit! For better or for worse, remember?"

"It'll probably be for worse." Happy said, realizing she wasn't going to give in. Every word he said to her was killing him inside. He didn't want to exist without both Kelly and Meadow. He just wanted to give them a chance.

"I knew that the day I met you." Kelly said softly, taking his face into her hands. He dropped his head towards her and wrapped a hand around the back of her neck. "We aren't going anywhere, Happy. Not without you."

"Thank you." He whispered.


	23. Chapter 23

After much consideration, I have decided that chapter 22 will be the last chapter of Little Bird. With that being said, I will write one epilogue chapter as a thank you for all of my readers. I appreciate everyone for reviewing. If you are new to the story, please don't hesitate to review!


	24. Chapter 24

**Epilogue**

Meadow swung her legs back and forth as she sat on the kitchen counter. She was nervous for her dad to get home. She didn't want to ask him. Kelly had refused to give her permission without Meadow asking Happy first. It wasn't their parenting style. They made decisions together.

"He's going to say no." Meadow sighed as Kelly walked into the kitchen. She watched her mother open the refrigerator with a nod.

"If you keep sitting on the counter then he definitely will. You know food goes on counters, right?" Kelly was tired. She'd been called into work late last night to deal with an argument between a nurse and a doctor that almost physical. "Have you done your homework?"

"Yeah. I finished it during class." Kelly gave her daughter a stern look. "What? I told you class is too easy. I get bored so I just work ahead or do my homework."

"That doesn't work in college, Meadow. Don't start making bad habits." Kelly said, inwardly praising her daughter for her time management. Meadow nodded and looked into the refrigerator.

"What are you looking for?" Meadow asked as Kelly started emptying the shelves. Her mother shook her head with frustration.

"I could have sworn I had leftovers from Stefano's in here." She felt Meadow tense up and turned to look at her. "Really? You said you didn't want your leftovers."

"Yeah, because you were bringing yours home." Meadow glanced down at her watch and groaned. "When is he going to be home?"

"Any minute. He said chapel ran over a little." Kelly said, closing the refrigerator with an unsatisfied frown. Meadow groaned. Kelly shook her head and walked into the living room with a pack of pop tarts. "Keep your ass of the counters."

Kelly let herself smirk a little. It was very possible that Meadow had been conceived during one of her and Happy's kitchen romps. She'd always cleaned the counters and table afterwards though. Maverick, their German Shepherd started barking loudly as Happy's bike pulled into the driveway.

"Is that him?" Meadow said, rushing into the living room. Kelly nodded and whistled for Maverick to shut up. A couple minutes later, the front door open and quickly slammed shut. Kelly sat up and looked over the back of the couch to see that Happy was extremely pissed off about something.

"Did you know about your daughter and Abel?" Happy yelled, tossing his keys into the bowl on the counter. Meadow moved to the opposite end of the living room as Kelly looked from her husband to her daughter.

"I knew she was going to ask you if they could go on a date." Kelly had a very bad feeling that Happy was pissed for a different reason. She looked at Meadow and shook her head. "What don't I know?"

"Mom." Meadow started to say. Happy snapped his fingers and Meadow stopped talking. Kelly stood up, sensing things getting worse quickly.

"Jax and Tara walked in on them in Jax's dorm. Funny, you were going to ask me about going on a date with him? You've already fucked him. Why go on a date?" Happy snapped.

"Happy!" Kelly said, giving him a sharp look. She knew that he was upset but she saw the pain in their daughter's eyes. "Meadow, explain this. Quickly."

"What do you want me to say, Mom? We've been together for a few months. I knew Daddy didn't want me dating until I was sixteen so I waited to ask you two about it until now." Meadow knew her mother was disappointed in her dishonesty but it was her father's anger that hurt her the most.

"How long is a few months, Meadow? Are you using protection?" Kelly asked, starting to feel some of the anger Happy was putting off. He scoffed and shook his head.

"Stop. I don't want to hear this shit. It's bad enough to know that you've been lying to both of us. I don't want to know how long you've been doing it." Happy shook his head, feeling more pain than anger. "I trusted you, Meadow."

"Daddy." Meadow cried out as Happy stormed upstairs. Kelly dropped her head. She never thought this would happen. Happy and Kelly had treated their daughter as an equal so long as she followed the few rules they had and didn't lie. She'd always told Happy how lucky they were that Meadow wasn't like other teenagers.

"You're going to need to give him some time, Meadow." Kelly said, knowing that Happy was probably heart-broken. Meadow was his little princess. It was hard enough for him to see her getting ready to go to college in a couple years. He'd wanted her to stay little for as long as possible. Kelly headed upstairs to try and do some damage control. She found Happy standing in the room that used to be Meadow's nursery. They had converted it into an office when Meadow was five but there were still marks on the wall that showed how much she'd grown in those short five years.

"She was so little when we brought her home." Happy said as Kelly positioned herself under his arm, She kissed the back of his hand with a nod. "Damnit, Kelly, she wasn't supposed to grow up this fast. What happened to having a couple more years before she went to college? Now she's going to waste her life with a Son."

"Happy, they're kids. Two years is a very long time to teenagers. This doesn't mean she's not going to college, baby. She just grew up a little faster than we wanted her to." Kelly said, turning around to face Happy. He dropped his hands to her hips and closed his eyes. "There are worse things than being with a Son though."

"He ain't a Son yet. Stupid prospect added at least six more months to his prospect term. Tara flipped her shit when he got out of the ring." Happy said with a hint of a smirk. Kelly smacked his chest lightly.

"You fought him? Happy." Kelly shook her head. She wasn't really surprised though. She knew that's how they solved their disagreements.

"He'll live. This is your fault, you know." Happy scowled at Kelly as she blinked up at him. "If you weren't so damn beautiful our daughter would be ugly and not having sex in the clubhouse."

"You're horrible." Kelly said with a laugh. He shrugged and gave her a smile. "You need to talk to her, baby. She probably thinks you hate her."

"I could never hate her." Happy said, kissing Kelly's forehead. She gave him an encouraging smile before he stepped back and headed downstairs to talk to their daughter.

************4 Years Later************

"I don't want to do this." Happy grumbled, buttoning his white dress shirt. He looked over at his wife as she turned to have him zip her dress. They were getting close to their sixties but she was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. He never got tired of looking at her, touching her, or making love to her.

"Just pretend like you do for a couple hours, baby." Kelly said, kissing his lips. He groaned and nodded, giving in to her wishes yet again. She handed him his leather cut with a smile. "It could be worse."

"You keep saying that." He said, cracking his neck. "Let's go see our little girl, angel."

Kelly and Happy walked down the hallway and knocked on the bridal room door. Meadow's maid of honor, Kaity cracked the door open.

"It's your parents." She called back into the room. Happy heard a sniffle in the background and shoved the door open.

"Meadow, baby girl. Why are you crying?" Happy said, walking over to her quickly. She dabbed at her tears with a napkin and shook her head.

"I'm scared, Daddy. What if this is a mistake?" Meadow asked, wishing she could disappear. Happy shook his head.

"Then you get a divorce like everybody else." He said, earning a sharp smack to the arm from Kelly. He sighed and kissed the top of his daughter's head. "Baby, you're just scared because it's a big change. You and Abel have been inseparable for years. Trust me, baby. I'm on the road with the asshole and he doesn't even look any other woman's way. You know if this is right for you or not. You just gotta listen to what's in your heart. No matter what you decide, your Ma and I will always be here for you."

"Meadow, they're starting the music." Kaity said, terrified to interrupt Happy. He gave her a dark glare as Kelly gave her a sweet smile.

"This is what I want. I love him, Daddy." Meadow said, standing up. Happy nodded and gave her his arm. Her ivory dress trailed behind her as they walked towards the church's chapel. Thomas met Kelly at the doors and ushered her down to the front pew.

"I love you, baby girl." Happy whispered, kissing her cheek before they started down the aisle. He never fought harder than he did to keep his tears at bay while walking his little girl down the aisle. When his part was done, he joined Kelly and took her hand. "She's not my little girl anymore."

"Yes she is, Happy. She'll always be our little girl. We just have a son now to." Kelly said, squeezing his hand. Happy let his shoulders fall as he nodded. When Meadow and Abel sealed their vows with a kiss, he let himself cry a couple tears.

***The End***


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